A popular Korean fried chicken eatery is coming to Quincy. It'll be the city's second

Peter Blandino, The Patriot Ledger
Updated ·2 min read

QUINCY − Next to the North Quincy Stop & Shop on Newport Avenue, home of a former Supercuts hair salon, hangs a large banner showing platters of fried chicken, golden brown and glistening against a black background.

Bonchon, an international chain of Korean fried chicken restaurants with a wide following, is coming soon, a sign says.

Bonchon, which means “my hometown” in Korean, opened in New York City in 2007. Its founder, Jinduk Seo, was born in South Korea, where “you’ll find a mom-and-pop fried chicken joint on every block,” according to its website.

Fried chicken is a classic American comfort food, but Korean cooks have been putting their own spin on the dish for years. At Bonchon, each piece is hand-battered, fried twice and then brushed with sauce, resulting in an extra-crispy bite. The chicken is fried “once to lock in all the succulent juices and again to achieve that signature, crave-worthy crunch,” the chain’s website boasts.

A new chicken restaurant, Bonchon, is planned near the North Quincy Stop & Shop off Newport Avenue.
A new chicken restaurant, Bonchon, is planned near the North Quincy Stop & Shop off Newport Avenue.

Its menu includes other Korean dishes such as bulgogi, or thin slices of marinated beef grilled on a barbecue or griddle, and kimchi soup.

The new Quincy restaurant would be Bonchon’s fifth location in Massachusetts. Currently, South Shore residents have to travel to 123 Brighton Ave. in Allston for the Bonchon experience. Other restaurants are in Waltham, Lowell and Salem.

There are more than 200 Bonchon locations in the United States and internationally, including in Cambodia, France, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, according to the restaurant’s website. None are listed in South Korea.

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Bonchon would be the second Korean fried chicken restaurant to open in the City of Presidents. In February 2022, bb.q Chicken opened on Billings Road, just across the train tracks from Stop & Shop and the future Bonchon.

Bb.q Chicken was founded in Seoul, South Korea, in 1994 and opened its first American franchise in 2014.

As of Friday, Oct. 20, representatives of Bonchon had yet to contact Quincy's licensing board, City Clerk Nicole Crispo said.

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Bonchon did not respond to a request for comment.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Bonchon, a Korean fried chicken franchise, coming to North Quincy