Cambridge could be getting a new Korean barbecue spot with multiple floors of dining space and a rooftop deck, though the restaurant is still at least a year away from opening.
According to a recent post shared to the Friends of Boston’s Hidden Restaurants Facebook group, California-based Gen Korean BBQ, a subsidiary of Chubby Group, has proposed a location for the former Dickson Bros. True Value hardware store at 26 Brattle Street in Harvard Square. The proposal marks the second planned Massachusetts location for the chain, which has also been working toward an opening in Allston for several years.
The Harvard Square restaurant would be a sizable addition to the neighborhood, spanning 8,671 square feet across a basement, three floors of dining space, and a rooftop deck. Plans call for a total occupancy of 293 people, though the project still faces questions surrounding its cooking setup and fire safety requirements.
According to a report from the Cambridge Somerville Independent, the Cambridge License Commission took the proposal under advisement earlier this year after raising concerns about open flames and cooking on the rooftop. At a summer hearing, commissioners questioned whether diners would be able to grill their own food at the table, as they typically do at Gen Korean BBQ locations nationwide, or whether staff would need to handle the cooking.
The restaurant’s team indicated that staff could supervise the process and assist diners, but questions about the cooking arrangements and potential rooftop fire hazards remained. The proposal will need to move through the necessary approvals before the restaurant can open.
Founded in Los Angeles in 2011 and led by chairman and CEO David Kim, Gen Korean BBQ operates nearly 50 locations across the United States, along with a few locations in South Korea. The chain specializes in all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue, inviting guests to grill rounds of meat, seafood, and vegetables at their tables. The spread is accompanied by banchan, or traditional Korean side dishes such as calamari rings, japchae, and fried katsu.
Formerly known as Chubby Cattle International, Chubby Group is a U.S.-based food and beverage holding company. The brand is behind several dining concepts, including The X Pot and Niku X, and also has connections to restaurants already operating in the Boston area, including Matsunori Handroll Bar, Mai, NoriNori, and Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House.
In addition to Gen Korean BBQ, the company is reportedly exploring two more concepts for the area: Chubby Skewers, a do-it-yourself Northeastern Chinese barbecue restaurant, and Chubby Cattle, an Asian dining concept known for its technology-driven approach and all-you-can-eat Wagyu hot pot, shabu-shabu, and yakiniku. Specific locations and opening timelines for those concepts have not yet been announced, and both projects appear to be in the early planning stages.
Kim told What Now Boston that Gen Korean BBQ’s Harvard Square location is at least a year away from opening as the project works through the city’s permitting process. He said additional details will be shared closer to opening, so stay tuned for updates on the restaurant and Chubby Group’s broader Greater Boston expansion plans.
