Richmond Highway Bonchon opening on Friday

November 13, 2019 Business and Development
Bonchon is located in the ground floor retail area of the Beacon of Groveton apartments.

The wait is finally over: Bonchon on Richmond Highway will hold its soft opening Friday, franchise owner Ryan Ham confirmed.

Bonchon, which is located in the ground-level retail space at the Beacon of Groveton apartment complex at 6852 Richmond Highway (see map), will open its doors at 11 a.m., Ham said.

This location will be the first Bonchon in the Alexandria/Richmond Highway area, and just the fifth in Fairfax County. A few of those are also owned by Ham, who operates six Bonchon franchisees in the D.C. area.

The first Bonchon opened in South Korea in 2003, and the first U.S. location opened in 2006. The fried chicken and Asian fusion fast casual restaurant has grown substantially in recent years, and now has close to 350 locations worldwide.

Ham said the chain’s popularity is due to its unique flavors and signature double frying method.

“Bonchon has three flavors: soy garlic, spicy and sweet crunch,” said Ham. “Our team paints the sauces after [using our] double frying technique to make our chicken extra crispy outside and soft inside.”

Inside of restaurant with stools on bar area and #eathappieness in letters on the wall
The interior of Bonchon is seen last week.

The Richmond Highway Bonchon’s opening has been a long time coming. A representative from the chain first confirmed the restaurant was coming to the Beacon of Groveton in June of 2016, and said the opening date would be later that year.

That didn’t happen, and another corporate spokesman said the location would open in the summer or fall of 2017, but that date came and went as well. Ham said many factors contributed to the delays, including two ownership changes at the Beacon of Groveton, which also led to changes in the building’s management company.

Construction delays were also an issue, and some permit applications from 2016 weren’t approved by Fairfax County until mid 2018. However by September 2018 most permits were obtained and crews began working on the restaurant.

Parking for Bonchon customers is available in the Beacon of Groveton’s parking deck. The location will operate from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s hours will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Ham said that the location will hold a grand opening at some point in the future, which will include a special on wings.