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The television program Shark Tank has been entertaining viewers over the years with big personalities and even bigger ideas. On the program, entrepreneurs pitch their products to a team of investors. The investors on the program have rotated over the years, including individuals such as Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Mark Cuban. If investors like the product they will offer to either purchase the product outright or to go into business and help finance production for a cut of the business. Products pitched on the show can vary from garden hose attachments all the way to restaurants. One particular restaurant eventually received the backing of Mark Cuban, and it is now making its way to Tucson.
Cupbop: Korean BBQ In A Cup brings popular Korean BBQ to fans who want it prepared quickly, in a way that is easy to consume. There aren’t exactly all that many Korean fast-food restaurants in Tucson (or anywhere in the United States, for that matter), which is what makes Cupbop such an attractive business. It also takes food typically made for dine-in and sit-down dinners and makes it easy to hold, consume, and travel with.
Visitors to the restaurant can easily customize their food when ordering. First, a visitor will select their protein as well as the spice level of the meal, add in additional ingredients, shake the bowl they are given to mix up the flavors, and then it’s time to eat.
The restaurant originally started as a food truck in Utah a decade ago, but the restaurant has since taken off since appearing on Shark Tank and receiving the financial influx from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. The restaurant is now in a half-dozen states and is spreading quickly through Arizona. While the Tucson location is preparing to open, four additional locations will open in metro Phoenix as well.
Beyond the build-your-own menu options, there are several pre-designed options for customers that don’t feel like mixing and matching for themselves. Some of the most popular options include the Rock Bop (Korean-style tangy fried chicken), KKO KKO Bop (Korean-style BBQ chicken), Doochi Bop (fried tofu), and Noodle Bop (Korean-style sweet potato noodles). A handful of sides are also available, such as Mandoo (deep-fried potstickers), kimchi, GF noodles (gluten-free), and KKo KKO Stick (fried chicken skewer).
Official hours of operation are not yet available for the Tucson location, but it is located at 4811 East Grant Road (#113).
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