POCATELLO — Tuesday’s scattered rain showers didn’t stop the droves of local residents who were eager to indulge in the Gate City’s newest restaurant — Cupbop.
Hundreds of people took advantage of the fast-casual Korean barbecue joint’s grand opening on Tuesday at its 544 E. Benton St. location, where all 10-plus bowls were marked down at $5.99 each. Atop the list of customers to give Cupbop a try was Pocatello resident Monica Titus, who earned some pretty neat swag for being the restaurant’s first ever customer.
“Oh I absolutely love Cupbop,” said Titus, whose go-to bowl is the Kko Kko bop, which features Korean style barbecue chicken. “I go to the one in Idaho Falls all the time and have been waiting forever for this one to open up. I was so excited about the $5.99 special that I got three of them. They’re great as leftovers, too.”
A restaurant that emphasizes fresh, high-quality ingredients, the Cupbop craze has taken off ever since founder Junghun Song and Dok Kwon, the company’s chief executive officer, appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in May 2022.
The Pocatello location is owned by Cupbop franchisee Kevin Santiago, who also oversees the locations in Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, Rexburg and the handful of Boise locations.
“Junghun Song started Cupbop as a food truck in 2013 and Kevin actually hunted the food truck down over time because he saw this massive line in front of the truck,” said Cupbop’s marketing director Brianna Vannelli. “He told Song, ‘We have to make this a brick-and-mortar store.’ It took some coaxing, but he finally convinced them and they opened the first stores in Salt Lake City.”
For much of the day Tuesday a line of customers, often referred to as Cupboppers. stretched out of the restaurant’s front doors and spilled into the adjacent parking lot.
“It’s about 4 o’clock right now and that line hasn’t died down at all, it’s still out into the parking lot,” Santiago said. “The turnout has been amazing today and that’s no surprise because people have been waiting a long time for this. They’ve seen this being built and we’re just excited to finally be here.”
Over a five hour span on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., over 260 Cupbop bowls had been delivered into the hands, and eventually the stomachs, of local residents. Santiago said that the evening hours are usually even busier once are off work and he estimates that number will reach over 500 by the time the restaurant closes at 9 p.m.
Vannelli says the main reason people love Cupbop is the incredible food, but second on that list is how special each customer is made to feel.
“We try to make sure their experience is really memorable,” she said. “We like to consider ourselves food entertainers where we have fun with all of the guests.”
For instance, every time a first time Cupbopper comes through the doors all the employees will collectively shout, “Extra,” which lets those in the assembly line know to include an additional Mandoo (deep fried potstickers) on the bowl.
Vannelli explained that each bowl comes with the staple ingredients of rice, noodles and cabbage, and then customers can choose various proteins — which include several variations of barbecue chicken, pork, beef and tofu.
“We have everything ranging from Korean barbecue beef to pork and wok fried chicken or wok grilled chicken,” she said. “We have a couple different fried chickens. We have vegetarian options like veggies and tofu, gluten free options like our sweet potato noodles and vegan options, too. My personal favorite is the Rock Bop, which is a sweet and tangy chicken.”
Just remember to give your bowl a good shaking before diving in.
Another expression from Cupbop employees is the phrase, “Fire in the Hole,” which is used to signify that one adventurous customer has decided to go with a 10 on the spicy scale, which ranges from 1-10, “with 1 being all sweet with no heat,” Vannelli said.
“If you have the palette to go to level 10 our team is going to make sure that everyone knows you went for it all,” she added. “It’s all about having some light-hearted fun.”
Typically, all bowls at Cupbop range from about $8 to $12 and can be made in as little as 45 seconds.
“Cupbop is the perfect on-the-go option because it has everything you need right in one bowl,” Vannelli said. “You are more than welcome to come and sit in our dining room at any point in time but if you need to get in and out quickly we can do that, too. You can also pre-order online and pick up.”
Aside from the popular bowls, Cupbop offers other Korean-style menu items including speciality chips, kimchi, a cheesy corn dog and fun fish-shaped ice cream.
The Pocatello Cupbop will add about 15 to 20 new jobs to the area, said Vannelli, adding that Cupbop is also an enterprise that prides itself on being actively involved in the community with various donation or support endeavors.
“Our team here gets out and loves getting involved with everyone in the community,” she said. “We love participating and making donations to school and education — that is one of the big pillars of our philanthropic missions.”
Cupbop in Pocatello has operating hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
“Our openings in Idaho have just had the warmest, most welcoming customers,” Vannelli said. “We love, love, love the customers here.”
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