BIBIBOP Asian Grill, a Columbus-based fast-casual restaurant chain, is known for its unique and authentic Korean fusion cuisine, delivering bold flavors where you’d least expect them. In a span of six years, BIBIBOP has grown impressively, scaling from 12 to 50 locations. The vision of its founder, Charley Shin, who grew up near Seoul, was to introduce the unique flavors of his hometown to food lovers in the US.
In 2018, BIBIBOP decided to partner with Fooda, starting with a single store in Westwood, LA. As part of the partnership, Fooda helped BIBIBOP expand the relationship to 20+ locations across ten markets, mostly in corporate settings.
BIBIBOP had aggressive growth goals in place, with leadership keen on expanding their success to new markets. Their delicious food has a passionate fan base in their brick and mortar stores and they wanted to leverage this beyond these locations.
Fooda and BIBIBOP began by testing a proof of concept over an initial 90 day trial period, which led to expanded partnerships over time.
Fresh food is presented and assembled right in front of customers, based on their order. This approach allows BIBIBOP to bring its unique flavor profile to new audiences every day in a novel format. It also piques customer curiosity, enticing people to seek the full BIBIBOP experience.
BIBIBOP worked with Fooda’s team to understand the needs of the Popup product and successfully adapted an expansive menu for this new format.
Depending on the market, BIBIBOP offers additional products through Delivery, Office Catering, and Warehouse Distribution.
In partnership with Fooda, BIBIBOP typically serves 3-5 days a week. As the business adds more locations, they continue to integrate Fooda into their operation.
Staffing:
The partnership allowed BIBIBOP to offer extra hours to their employees, fostering loyalty and providing a refreshing experience in diverse and friendly environments.
BIBIBOP’s aggressive growth strategy has been further supported by their collaboration with Fooda, which has resulted in significant exposure and sales. In the past year alone, they received an impressive 862,648 impressions and sold a total of 58,953 meals across 5 markets. Additionally, BIBIBOP’s partnership with Fooda has allowed them to grow exponentially, specifically in the LA market. Within the last year, BIBIBOP nearly tripled their meals sold with Fooda, increasing food sales by 169.51% from January 2021 to January 2022. This collaboration has played a crucial role in helping BIBIBOP gain a solid footing in new markets and channels, expanding beyond their traditional brick and mortar locations. Moreover, the Fooda and BIBIBOP partnership serves as a gateway for less-adventurous eaters to try new flavors and become familiar with the BIBIBOP brand.
