CHIKO
CHIKO is a privately-held Chinese-Korean fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2017 in Washington, D.C. by chefs Danny Lee and Scott Drewno. It operates six dine-in locations across the DMV and California plus arena concessions, serving fusion dishes rooted in Chinese and Korean culinary traditions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersWashington, D.C., United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What CHIKO does
CHIKO is a privately-held Chinese-Korean fast-casual restaurant chain founded in July 2017 on Barracks Row in Washington, D.C. as the first concept from The Fried Rice Collective, the restaurant group co-founded by chefs Danny Lee and Scott Drewno along with Drew Kim. The brand operates six dine-in locations — Capitol Hill and Dupont Circle (DC), Bethesda (MD), Shirlington and Sterling/Cascades (VA), and Encinitas (CA) — plus concession outlets at Nationals Park and Capital One Arena. The menu pairs Chinese and Korean culinary traditions into dishes such as Korean fried chicken, japchae noodles, dumplings, and wok-fired vegetables, with entrees priced broadly in the $10-$20 range. Most sites operate counter service; the February 2025 Cascades location is the brand's first full-service restaurant, with a full bar and patio across 3,000 square feet.
The business generates revenue across four streams: dine-in service at neighborhood locations, takeout and delivery via ToastTab and DoorDash, corporate catering through District Catering (the collective's catering arm), and premium tasting experiences including the Capitol Hill Kitchen Counter Experience at $75 per person and CHĪKO+ at $105 per person. Marketing is earned-media-led, with coverage in Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Food and Wine, Washington Post, and Washingtonian, supplemented by themed programming such as Noodle Week, Crab Week, BBQ Week, Lunar New Year specials, and AAPI Heritage Month collaborations. Reservation and ordering integrations include ToastTab, OpenTable, Resy, Table22, Eventbrite, and Togo Green for packaging.
CHIKO is founder-led and privately held with no disclosed external institutional capital or revenue. The company employs approximately 48 people on its central roster while staffing front-of-house and kitchen roles at each location through active hiring. Co-owners Lee and Drewno were nominated for the 2025 James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur award, adding to a recognition track that includes a 2018 James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist nod, two RAMMY Awards, 3-star Washington Post and Washingtonian reviews, and a 2017 Eater DC Game Changer designation.
CHIKO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CHIKO
- Legal name
- CHIKO
- Website
- https://mychiko.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CHIKO is a privately-held Chinese-Korean fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2017 in Washington, D.C. by chefs Danny Lee and Scott Drewno. It operates six dine-in locations across the DMV and California plus arena concessions, serving fusion dishes rooted in Chinese and Korean culinary traditions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CHIKO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fast-casual restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Asian Fast Casual (Pan-Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean) (THAFABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)
Keywords
Where CHIKO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington, D.C.
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
CHIKO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Dine-in Service: Counter-service and full-service restaurant dining at multiple locations across DC, Virginia, Maryland, and California
- Takeout and Delivery: Direct takeout ordering through ToastTab and delivery partnerships with DoorDash
- Catering: Corporate and event catering services through District Catering
- Kitchen Counter Tasting Experience: Premium multi-course tasting menu at Capitol Hill location - The CHĪKO Experience at $75 per person and CHĪKO+ at $105 per person
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Regular Menu Items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | The CHĪKO Experience Tasting Menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | The CHĪKO+ Enhanced Tasting Menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Weekend Dim Sum |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Kitchen Counter Reservation |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Brunch Cocktails |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BBQ Week Specials |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Noodle Week Tasting Menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lunar New Year Special Menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dim Sum Brunch Event |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
CHIKO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CHIKO is a Chinese-Korean fast-casual restaurant concept that serves Asian fusion cuisine across multiple U.S. locations. Its core products include dine-in and takeout service at restaurant locations, the exclusive Kitchen Counter multi-course tasting menu experience, catering services operated under District Catering, and the DMV Supper Club collaborative dining event series.
Product overview
CHIKO is a Chinese-Korean fast-casual restaurant chain operated by The Fried Rice Collective (founded by chefs Danny Lee and Scott Drewno). The core offering is the CHIKO restaurant brand with counter-service and full-service locations. Additional offerings include the Kitchen Counter Experience (a multi-course tasting menu at Capitol Hill), the CHĪKO+ enhanced tasting option, catering services through District Catering, and I Egg You breakfast concept. The restaurant serves dishes rooted in Chinese and Korean culinary traditions including Korean fried chicken, dumplings, japchae noodles, wok-fired vegetables, and signature items like 'Orange-ish' chicken and bulgogi.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CHIKO Restaurant CHIKO Restaurant is the company's core fast-casual dining offering serving Chinese-Korean fusion cuisine across multiple U.S. locations in Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and California. It supports dine-in, takeout, and delivery service for individual consumers and groups.
- Kitchen Counter Experience
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple 3-star ratings from Washington Post and Washingtonian Magazine
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CHIKO
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CHIKO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
CHIKO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- The Fried Rice CollectivecoreParent restaurant group founded by chefs Danny Lee and Scott Drewno along with Drew Kim. CHIKO is the first restaurant concept from The Fried Rice Collective, which now includes Anju, I Egg You, and District Catering. The collective manages all concepts and expansion strategy.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CHIKO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CAVA: Mediterranean-inspired fast-casual chain with counter-service bowls; relevant comparable for unit economics, multi-unit growth model, and urban lunchtime diner.
- Sweetgreen: Tech-enabled, chef-influenced salad/bowl fast-casual; comparable as a premium positioning fast-casual brand monetizing chef credibility in urban markets.
- Honeygrow: Asian-inspired fast-casual chain offering stir-fry, salads, and bowls in a counter-service format — comparable to CHIKO in service model, price point, and target urban food-conscious diner.
- Bibibop Asian Grill: Korean- and Asian-influenced build-your-own bowl concept in fast-casual; directly comparable to CHIKO on cuisine adjacency (Korean), counter-service model, and per-cover pricing.
Broad incumbents
- Pei Wei Asian Kitchen: Larger established Asian-cuisine fast-casual brand; comparable on cuisine category and service model but with broader menu and footprint than CHIKO.
Others
- Anju (The Fried Rice Collective): Sibling concept operated by the same parent group as CHIKO; not a competitor but a direct adjacency sharing the same chefs, kitchen infrastructure, and operating team.
- Matchbox Food Group: Co-founder Andrew Kim's other restaurant group; relevant as a portfolio/operating-peer comparable (multi-unit casual dining operator) but not a direct competitor to CHIKO.
- The Source by Wolfgang Puck (legacy): Career-pedigree reference: Scott Drewno was Executive Chef at The Source (Wolfgang Puck); not a peer, but used as a high-end fine-dining benchmark for chef reputation and pricing architecture.
- Mandu (The Fried Rice Collective): Korean dumpling concept from The Fried Rice Collective sharing kitchen and management infrastructure with CHIKO; relevant as a portfolio-architecture reference point.
Emerging players
- Tiger Noodle House: Niche Asian-noodle counter-service concept with fast-casual economics; useful emerging-player comparable for menu focus and per-cover pricing benchmarks in the Asian fast-casual category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CHIKO social profiles
Digital presenceCHIKO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CHIKO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
CHIKO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CHIKO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CHIKO
What does CHIKO do?
CHIKO is a Chinese-Korean fast-casual restaurant concept that serves Asian fusion cuisine across multiple U.S. locations. Its core products include dine-in and takeout service at restaurant locations, the exclusive Kitchen Counter multi-course tasting menu experience, catering services operated under District Catering, and the DMV Supper Club collaborative dining event series.
Is CHIKO a public or private company?
CHIKO is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CHIKO founded?
CHIKO was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CHIKO based?
CHIKO is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, in the North America region.
How does CHIKO make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Service is the primary driver. The others are takeout and Delivery, catering and kitchen Counter Tasting Experience.
Who are CHIKO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CAVA, Sweetgreen, Honeygrow and Bibibop Asian Grill. Pei Wei Asian Kitchen is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are Anju (The Fried Rice Collective), Matchbox Food Group, The Source by Wolfgang Puck (legacy) and Mandu (The Fried Rice Collective). Tiger Noodle House is listed as an emerging player.
Does CHIKO have an API?
No public API is recorded for CHIKO.
What industry is CHIKO in?
CHIKO's product category is Fast-casual restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAE, Asian Fast Casual (Pan-Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean), with a secondary code of THAFACAD, Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722513.