May 8, 2017

Meet Jason Cho of Dak & Bop in Museum District

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Cho.

Jason, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was first introduced to Korean fried chicken when my sister got married and moved to the Big Apple. When I went to visit her, she was raving about a new style of fried chicken and said that I would love it. When I tried it for the first time, I knew that this concept needed to be brought to Houston ASAP! After some research, I was astounded to find out that Houston did not have this specific style of chicken at all. However, with zero restaurant experience and minimal cooking skills, this would be a difficult for me to do. I knew that Korean fried chicken would do well, as long as it was properly executed. After further research and committing two years to training, I was able to make the leap to making this idea into a reality. As part of the research, I traveled to areas of the country like New York, New Jersey, Chicago and LA that had this concept well established. I had two motivating factors to do this well. One, was that I wanted to be the one who introduced Houston to this delicious concept. Two, I meant this to be a retirement plan for my father. He came here as an immigrant in the 70’s, and as with many immigrants, came here with nothing. He taught me the value of hard work and perseverance. I wanted to give something back to him, to thank him for all that he did for our family. However, after I signed the lease, hired the contractors, obtained the loan, and began construction, my father fell ill and passed away before he ever saw the restaurant. After some soul searching, I decided to proceed with the concept. He became my motivation to continue working hard and putting all my effort into the business to ensure its success. His memory continues to motivate me to make Dak & Bop a top destination restaurant for Asian fusion and Korean fried chicken.

Has it been a smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road from start to current day. Like many start-ups and businesses in general, we had the same challenges as many others. We face challenges every day from staffing, to assembling a good team, product recognition, trying to stand out from the competition, and trying to satisfy all our customers’ wants and needs. One of the unique challenges I faced was due to my lack of experience in the industry and having an unknown product that had yet to be introduced to the Houston market. There were many rejections from all the real estate companies and retail/restaurant spaces. They had zero interest in giving me chance in trying to bring Korean fried chicken to Houston. However, due to a personal relationship with one developer, we were able to acquire the space we are in today. With patience and perseverance, we were able to establish Dak & Bop and bring Korean fried chicken to Houston.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Dak & Bop story. Tell us more about the business.
We are an Asian fusion restaurant that specializes in Korean fried chicken. Our menu is unique because it has influences from different parts of Asia along with a sprinkle of Mexican cuisine. My favorite food growing up was Tex-Mex, so it was a must for me to incorporate some aspect of that on my menu. Our chicken is unique due to the way we butcher and prepare it. The cooking process is different from other fried chicken places because we fry the chicken twice which results in a cracker thin crust that has a crispy exterior and a tender, moist, and juicy inside. Along with the delicious food, we also provide a full bar that has various fourteen craft beers on tap along with many in bottles and cans. Accompanying the beer is a fun and tasty craft cocktail menu partnered with an extensive list of Asian whiskeys. Our decor can be described as industrial chic which gives a fun and vibrant ambiance. The end result is a unique dining experience found only at Dak & Bop!

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see To Go aspect of the restaurant business picking up due to all the different delivery services. People like restaurant quality food being delivered straight to their doorsteps. I don’t see that going away anytime soon.

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