Our Story

My adventure began on Broadway drive, Ann Arbor Michigan 2005. My grandmother worked as a banchan (side dishes) maker for a local Korean grocery store. When she heard the owner was looking to sell, she convinced my mother to purchase the store. My mother took the risk and moved me from my average and comfortable life in Korea; we became the protectors of the grocery store. During my childhood in the grocery store, the truth I uncovered was the unilateral connection of food and perseverance of culture. 

The Korean grocery store allowed locals to buy ingredients to make the food that they grew up with. The happiness that a jar of Kimchi brought families left lasting impressions for me. 

I worked as a Management Consultant for 3 years and I felt I lost the ability to provide happiness.  I quit in 2020 during the COVID pandemic and continued my adventure. I started Kimchi Box, Michigan's first Korean fast casual restaurant. Over the last 6 years, I have been able to expand these ventures into multiple cities and multiple brands.

Kimchi Box — 9 locations, serving artisanal meals rooted in Korean cooking philosophies.
Ondo Bakery — 3 locations, creating gathering spaces centered around pastries, drinks, and community.
The Dancing Pine — where Korean BBQ meets luxury through wagyu cuts, fermented mountain vegetables, and refined craftsmanship.
Azalea — Asian cooking methods over open flames, and raw fish preparations.

The purpose of these restaurants is the same purpose of my mothers grocery store in 2005. It is to give our guests more than what they expect. Families did not expect to be able to revisit their culture but found a space that provided it. 

Food is performance art. How the craftsman feels, the ingredients of nature, the tools he chooses. Is his way of showing his art. Showing how the artisan feels at the point of creation. 

— Min Kyu Kim