Kijung Hospitality Group

What Kijung Hospitality Group does

Kijung Hospitality Group is a private, independent restaurant group headquartered in Torrance, California, founded in 2012 with approximately 47 employees. The company operates a portfolio of Korean barbecue restaurant brands through wholly owned subsidiaries, most notably Baekjeong Korean BBQ — a premium meat-focused concept operating 7+ locations across California (Los Angeles Koreatown, Torrance, Buena Park, Irvine, Rowland Heights, Temple City) and New York — and Ahgassi Gopchang, a single-location concept in Los Angeles specializing in roasted beef intestines. The group has publicly indicated expansion plans into Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area based on press coverage.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer dine-in restaurant model with no online ordering, no third-party delivery integration, and no reservation system — all locations are first come, first served. Revenue is generated entirely through in-person food and beverage sales at physical locations, with pricing varying by menu offering and location (no publicly disclosed menu prices). The customer base consists of individual diners and groups seeking authentic Korean barbecue, including locals, Korean diaspora, Korean food enthusiasts, K-pop fans, and tourists. Marketing is driven almost exclusively by earned media (Eater, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, etc.) and high-profile celebrity associations, most prominently K-pop group BTS naming Ahgassi Gopchang as their favorite LA restaurant and chef Anthony Bourdain's visits.

The group has no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, no digital app, and no API or SDK offerings. It is founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional investment, no funding rounds, no parent company, and no M&A activity on record. The core differentiator is brand equity built through critical acclaim (Eater's 'World's Favorite Korean Barbecue' in 2017, Jonathan Gold's '101 Best Restaurants') and proprietary marinades and sauces, rather than any technology or scale advantage.

Name

Kijung Hospitality Group

Legal name

Kijung Hospitality Group

Website

https://kijung.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kijung Hospitality Group is a private restaurant group operating Korean BBQ brands Baekjeong Korean BBQ and Ahgassi Gopchang across 8+ locations in California and New York, serving individual diners and tourists seeking authentic Korean barbecue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Korean Barbecue Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Korean barbecue restaurants
• Korean BBQ dining
• Authentic Korean cuisine
• Korean BBQ hospitality
• Gopchang restaurants

Headquarters

HQ city

Torrance

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue generated from customers dining at physical restaurant locations. Customers pay for food and beverages consumed on-site at Baekjeong Korean BBQ and Ahgassi Gopchang locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kijung Hospitality Group operates a multi-brand portfolio of Korean barbecue dine-in restaurants in the United States, anchored by the Baekjeong Korean BBQ concept (premium fresh meats, traditional Korean design) and the Ahgassi Gopchang concept (roasted beef intestines, branded as BTS's favorite LA restaurant). The group runs eight or more company-owned locations across California and New York, generating revenue entirely through on-premise food and beverage sales on a first-come, first-serve basis with no reservations, online ordering, or delivery.

Product overview

Kijung Hospitality Group operates a portfolio of Korean barbecue restaurant brands, including Baekjeong Korean BBQ (featuring premium fresh meats and ranked among the '101 best restaurants' by Jonathan Gold) and Ahgassi Gopchang (specializing in roasted beef intestines and noted as BTS's favorite LA restaurant). The group positions itself as a global restaurant visionary introducing authentic Korean flavors to the world, with multiple locations across California and New York.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Baekjeong Korean BBQ: Korean barbecue restaurant named after the Korean term for 'butcher', serving fresh highest quality meats. Ranked as one of the '101 best restaurants' by food critic Jonathan Gold and named 'World's Favorite Korean Barbecue' by Eater in 2017.
• Ahgassi Gopchang

Products and services

• Baekjeong Korean BBQ Korean barbecue restaurant concept serving premium fresh meats under a brand whose name means 'butcher' in Korean. Operated across multiple California and New York locations as a dine-in concept only, with traditional Korean jocular design and proprietary marinades/sauces. Ranked among Jonathan Gold's '101 best restaurants' and named 'World's Favorite Korean Barbecue' by Eater in 2017.
• Ahgassi Gopchang Korean barbecue restaurant concept specializing in roasted beef intestines (gopchang), featuring proprietary distinct flavorful sauces and traditional Korean design elements. Located at 3744 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA, and branded as K-pop phenomenon BTS's favorite restaurant in LA.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked among '101 best restaurants' by food critic Jonathan Gold
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Genwa Korean BBQ: Premium full-service Korean BBQ chain operating multiple LA locations. Direct competitor to Baekjeong with similar table-service model, premium meat positioning, and Koreatown focus.
• Chosun Galbee: Premium Korean BBQ restaurant operating in LA. Comparable to Baekjeong on traditional Korean dining atmosphere, full-service model, and Koreatown destination positioning.
• Park's BBQ: High-end Korean BBQ restaurant group in LA and NYC with premium meats and full table service. Directly comparable to Baekjeong on price point, cuts offered, and destination-dining positioning.
• BCD Tofu House: Multi-location Korean restaurant chain with locations across California and other US markets. Comparable full-service Korean dining model and similar multi-brand/multi-location operating profile.
• Honey Pig: All-you-can-eat Korean BBQ chain with multiple US locations. Competes on Korean BBQ experience with similar table-grill service model and multi-state footprint.
• Sun Nong Dan: Korean restaurant group specializing in Korean BBQ and soups, with strong cult following in LA. Comparable full-service Korean dining experience and destination-dining reputation.
• Hae Jang Chon Korean BBQ Restaurant: 24-hour Korean BBQ restaurant in LA Koreatown with extensive meat menu. Directly comparable to Baekjeong on menu breadth, Koreatown location, and all-day Korean BBQ service.

Regional players

• Wooga Korean BBQ: Korean BBQ operator focused on East Coast US markets. Comparable in menu and service model, with geographic non-overlap that makes it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Roy Choi / Kogi BBQ: Chef Roy Choi's Korean-Mexican fusion concept, originally food trucks now with brick-and-mortar locations. Comparable as a high-profile Korean-adjacent concept with strong media presence and brand recognition.

Broad incumbents

• Cornerstone Restaurant Group (Park's BBQ parent): Established Korean restaurant operator with mature multi-location infrastructure. Comparable as a broader portfolio player in the premium Korean dining category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GroupKijung
• Facebookfacebook.com/KijungHospitalityGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kijung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kijung Hospitality Group