Korean-Mexican street food concept Seoul Taco will open the doors of its Naperville, Illinois, location on Friday, December 20. Located at 206 S. Washington Street, the restaurant marks the sixth location for the brand, with existing locations in Chicago’s River North and Hyde Park neighborhoods. Seoul Taco also owns and operates locations across the St. Louis area.
“Naperville has a vibrant dining scene, and it’s only grown more over the years,” says Chef and Owner David Choi, who spent part of his adolescent years living with family in the area. “We look forward to becoming a part of the local Naperville community and sharing our passion great food and stellar hospitality.”
The fast casual restaurant features Korean BBQ-inspired recipes, inspired by recipes from Cho’s childhood. Menu highlights include the Bulgogi Steak Tacos with Korean salad mix, green onion, secret “Seoul Sauce,” crushed sesame seeds, and lime; or Choi’s twist on bibimbap—the Spicy Pork Gogi Bowl with rice, fresh veggies, fried egg, carrots, green onion, sesame oil, and spicy Gochujang pepper sauce. Guests can also enjoy the brand’s food mashup, Gogi & Waffles, a bed of sweet potato waffle fries topped with guest’s choice of protein, housemade kimchi, sesame seeds, green onion, queso blanco and spicy Seoul sauce.
Weaving Choi’s passion for street culture into the restaurant’s design, Seoul Taco Naperville features murals, art installations, and hip-hop music like its other restaurant locations. Won Kim, muralist and chef of Kimski, and local artist Jake Merten collaborated on mural inspired by Japanese anime. Choi also worked with Alex Morales of Smart Mouth Designs to create a vibrant boombox wall installation and multilingual background pattern surrounding the menu boards.
Shortly after opening, the Naperville location will offer catering options for 10-30 guests, and customizable packages for parties of 30 and more. Seoul Taco Naperville’s hours of operation will be 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. every day, with exception for some holidays. The 1,200-square-foot space seats 35-40 guests.
