Cupbop

Cupbop (stylized as CUP-BOP) is an American fast casual restaurant chain located in the United States and Indonesia. They serve street-food style Korean barbecue, otherwise known as cup-bop (Korean: 컵밥).^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Cupbop Inc.
Restaurant information
Established	2013; 12 years ago (2013), in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States
Owner(s)	Junghun Song and Dok Kwon
Food type	Fast casual
Country	United States and Indonesia
Website	Cupbop.com

Cupbop started out in 2013 as a food truck in Salt Lake County, Utah and has since grown to other states.^[6][7][8] The restaurant is credited with bringing Korean BBQ to Utah.^[9] As of June 2024, in the United States there are 64 total store locations, six food trucks, and several concessions locations including the Utah Jazz NBA Arena. The chain also operates over 180 locations throughout Indonesia.^[10] In 2024 the chain saw $64 million in annual revenue.^[7][11][12]

History

A Cupbop food truck in Utah in 2018.

Junghun Song started Cupbop after finding out that Korean cuisine was not represented at a Utah food convention in 2013.^[7] Song and two of his friends began selling Korean cuisine out of a 20-year-old food truck soon after and became the founders and part-owners of Cupbop.^[13][7][4]

Throughout 2015, Cupbop expanded by opening more food trucks and a brick and mortar restaurant near Brigham Young University.^[14][15] The company's recognizable branding led it to be frequently posted on social media and become known around the BYU campus.^[16] Cupbop ran local events and marketing campaigns to promote growth.^{[17][18][16][19]} Since its inception, Cupbop has opened over 64 stores across the U.S. and its sales have surpassed $64 million USD (30 billion won).^[20]

Cupbop saw acclaim in the restaurant industry with its inclusion Yahoo's selection of "27 of the Best Food Trucks in America" and was voted as the number one food truck in Utah in 2021.^[21][22]

In May 2022, the company's owners appeared on the American television show Shark Tank and asked for $1 million in exchange for a 3% stake in the company.^[23] They made a deal with billionaire investor Mark Cuban, selling him 5 percent of the company for 1 million USD.^[24][10] As of 2024 they operate in seven states–Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas.^[25]

Menu

A mixed order of Ugly Bop

Cupbop's menu consists primarily of steamed rice bowls. They offer several different types of bowls, including chicken, beef, pork, vegetables and tofu, all served Korean barbecue style alongside rice and cabbage.^[26][5] Cupbop also serves other Korean staple foods such as mandoo (a Korean dumpling) and kimchi.^[27][28]