Bibibop Asian Grill

Bibibop Asian Grill is an American fast-casual restaurant brand specializing in customizable Korean-inspired rice bowls and related Asian-style dishes. The concept is commonly compared with Chipotle because customers assemble meals from a base, proteins, vegetables, sauces, and other toppings in an order-line format. Its name is derived from bibimbap, the Korean dish traditionally made with rice, seasoned vegetables, chili pepper paste, and, in some versions, egg and meat. The brand was founded in 2013 in Grandview Heights, Ohio, near Columbus, by Korean American entrepreneur Charley Shin. Shin had previously founded Charleys Cheesesteaks and had experience working with his mother in her restaurants. His interest in creating an Asian fast-food concept was influenced by his mother's cooking and by a desire to translate familiar Korean flavors into an accessible, contemporary restaurant format. Shin, his sister Chung Choe, and other members of the development group visited Asian-inspired restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area while shaping the concept. The resulting brand emphasized customization, quick service, and a menu organized around Korean flavors rather than a conventional full-service restaurant model. Bibibop initially developed in Ohio and operated its restaurants as corporate-owned units. A major expansion step came in 2017, when the company acquired the leases for all 15 ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen locations after Chipotle Mexican Grill ended that experiment. The properties were located in the Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas. The transaction gave Bibibop a route beyond its Ohio base, although some former ShopHouse sites later closed because they did not perform sufficiently well. The chain was subsequently recognized by Nation's Restaurant News as one of its five Hot Concepts for 2017. The brand's core proposition is built around bowls that can be adapted to individual preferences. Its menu is associated with rice and other base choices, Korean-influenced proteins, vegetables, sauces, and toppings, with an emphasis on colorful presentation and a relatively streamlined ordering experience. The format allows Bibibop to serve customers seeking a quick meal while also appealing to diners interested in customizable, vegetable-forward or Asian-inspired food. Exact menu composition has changed over time as the company has added and removed items. Bibibop opened its 50th location in Delaware, Ohio, in April 2023. According to the cited reference material, the chain had 74 locations as of 2025. In that year it introduced nine new menu items and discontinued three, indicating continued menu development as the brand expanded. Bibibop remains a United States-focused restaurant chain and is not identified in the supplied material as a publicly listed company or as a subsidiary of a separately named parent company.

Bibibop Asian Grill was created in 2013 in Grandview Heights, Ohio, by Charley Shin, a Korean American restaurant entrepreneur who had previously founded Charleys Cheesesteaks. Shin's background included working with his mother in her restaurants, and her cooking helped shape his interest in developing a Korean-inspired fast-food concept. The concept also emerged from a broader effort to identify an Asian restaurant format that could be translated into a scalable American fast-casual business. During the development process, Shin worked with his sister Chung Choe and other members of the team. The group toured Asian-inspired restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area and used those observations to help define Bibibop's operating model and menu direction. The brand's name references bibimbap, a Korean rice dish built around rice, vegetables, chili pepper paste, and optional egg and meat. Bibibop adapted that culinary idea into a customer-customized bowl format, allowing diners to select components in a manner often compared with Chipotle's assembly-line model. The first restaurant opened in Grandview Heights in 2013. Bibibop's units were described as entirely corporate owned, rather than being developed through a conventional franchise network. The early business was concentrated in Ohio, where the concept established its initial operating base and customer audience. In 2017, Bibibop made its most significant early expansion move by acquiring the leases for all 15 ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen restaurants. ShopHouse had been Chipotle's Southeast Asian fast-casual experiment, and Chipotle terminated that business before Bibibop took over the leases. The locations covered the Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas, giving Bibibop access to markets outside Ohio without relying solely on new-site development. The former ShopHouse locations did not all perform equally well, and some eventually closed. The acquisition nevertheless increased Bibibop's visibility and geographic reach. Nation's Restaurant News named the company one of five Hot Concepts for 2017, an industry recognition connected to the appeal of its customizable Asian fast-casual model. The chain continued to develop through additional restaurant openings and menu adjustments rather than changing its central bowl-based identity. Bibibop reached its 50th location in April 2023 with the opening of a restaurant in Delaware, Ohio. By 2025, the chain was reported to have 74 locations. That year it added nine menu items while discontinuing three, demonstrating ongoing efforts to refresh its offering. The available reference material does not identify a separately named parent company, public listing, international operating network, or a change away from the corporate-owned model. Bibibop's documented business remains focused on operating Korean-inspired fast-casual restaurants in the United States.

• 2025

  Menu refresh

  [1]Bibibop Asian Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Bibibop added nine menu items and discontinued three items during a 2025 menu update.

• 2023

  50th location opens in Delaware, Ohio

  [1]Bibibop Asian Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Bibibop opened its 50th restaurant in Delaware, Ohio, marking a notable network expansion milestone.

• 2017

  ShopHouse lease acquisition expands the chain beyond Ohio

  [1]Bibibop Asian Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Bibibop acquired the leases for all 15 ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen locations in the Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas after Chipotle ended ShopHouse.

• 2017

  Recognized as a Hot Concept

  [1]Bibibop Asian Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Nation's Restaurant News named Bibibop one of five Hot Concepts for 2017.

• 2013

  First Bibibop restaurant opens

  [1]Bibibop Asian Grillen.wikipedia.org

  The first Bibibop Asian Grill location opened in Grandview Heights, Ohio, launching Charley Shin's Korean-inspired fast-casual restaurant concept.

A corporate-owned American fast-casual chain offering customizable Korean-inspired bowls in an accessible, quick-service format. The concept is positioned as an Asian-oriented alternative to mainstream build-your-own bowl restaurants, with bibimbap serving as its culinary reference point.

• Fast-casual meals · 2013

  Customizable Korean-inspired bowls

  Bibibop's central offering is a build-your-own bowl assembled from a base, protein, vegetables, sauces, and toppings. The format draws on bibimbap while adapting the dish to a quick-service ordering line. Customers can create combinations with different proportions of rice, vegetables, and Korean-influenced flavors, making the bowl format suitable for varied dietary preferences without departing from the brand's core identity.

• Korean-inspired food · 2013

  Bibimbap-inspired menu

  The broader menu is inspired by bibimbap, the Korean rice dish whose name and flavor logic underpin the brand. Bibibop translates the combination of rice, seasoned vegetables, chili pepper paste, and optional meat or egg into a standardized fast-casual format. Menu components have changed over time, including the additions and removals reported in the 2025 refresh.

• 2025

  Refresh the restaurant menuProduct launch

  Background

  Bibibop continued to adjust its offering as its restaurant network expanded.

  Action taken

  The chain introduced nine new menu items and discontinued three existing items.

  Aftermath

  The change represented a menu refresh while preserving the brand's Korean-inspired, customizable fast-casual positioning.

  Source

• 2017

  Acquire leases for former ShopHouse restaurantsM&A

  Background

  Chipotle discontinued ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, leaving 15 restaurant leases in major metropolitan areas available for another operator.

  Action taken

  Bibibop acquired the leases for all 15 ShopHouse locations in the Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas.

  Aftermath

  The transaction enabled Bibibop to expand beyond Ohio, although some former ShopHouse sites later closed after insufficient performance.

  Source

1. 1Bibibop Asian Grillen.wikipedia.org