The Korea Taqueria is set to open its third location inside the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin’s Table Food Hall, continuing the brand’s rapid expansion.
Owners Alexander Sherack and Rene Lopez, who started as food truck operators, decided to combine forces. They opened their first brick-and-mortar in South Philadelphia in 2023 and added a second location in Fishtown earlier this year.
The move to campus came as the restaurant gained momentum and a wider following.
“I actually have been running a restaurant there called Paper Mill. It was at the five-year mark. We were like, ‘Let’s go all in on Korea Taqueria.’ It’s doing really well right now, and a lot of students have been asking us to open on campus, so we decided to do it,” Sherack told What Now Philadelphia.
The third location will keep Korea Taqueria’s favorites but deliver a different vibe.
“This one is going to be a little different in a sense that it’s more of a bowls, burritos, and salads space kind of like Chipotle-style. We’re working in a smaller footprint, but it’s still going to have our delicious proteins like signature slow cooked beef and gochujang chicken,” Sherack said.
Signature burritos come wrapped in a flour tortilla and filled with sesame white rice, black beans, cheese, sour cream, corn, pico de gallo and cilantro. Bowls are built with sesame white rice or romaine lettuce and topped with black beans, cucumber kimchi slaw, pickled onion, corn, cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, and a choice of protein and sauce.
Sherack is eager to bring Korea Taqueria to University City.
“I’m excited about bringing it to another part of the city. University City, they’ve got a special place in my heart because that’s where I started my food truck and also have done Paper Mill for the last 5 years. We’ve also done a lot of work with University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania hospitals, CHOP, and Drexel University. It’s going to be nice to bring this and kind of refresh the space,” he said.
The team plans to open Korea Taqueria in January, though they have not announced an official date. For updates, visit the website and follow along on Instagram.
