Korean Comfort Food Restaurant to Open First U.S. Location at 496 Sixth Avenue

Kim’s Bap, a popular Korean comfort food restaurant known for its healthy, fast-food options, has inked a 10-year, 2,500-square-foot lease at 496 Sixth Avenue for $146 per square foot, tenant listing agent Platinum Commercial announced.

The Greenwich Village space will be the restaurant’s first U.S. location, and it is expected to open in 2026. 

Jinwoo (David) Park and Joseph Zalta of Platinum Commercial — the new commercial arm of family-owned boutique brokerage Platinum Properties — represented Kim’s Bap in the deal. 

“For its first location in America, Kim’s Bap aimed to establish presence in a dynamic Manhattan location that would give the food chain exposure to office workers and those who live nearby, and 496 Sixth Avenue sits at the heart of one of Greenwich Village’s most dynamic dining and residential corridors and achieves just that,” Park said in a statement shared with Commercial Observer. “This lease signing is part of a much broader movement as more Korean brands, including in the hospitality and fashion industries, look to explore U.S. expansion.” 

Evan John of C Land Realty represented the landlord in this lease. John did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Built in 1900, Greenwich Village-based 496 Sixth Avenue is a mixed-use building between West 12th and West 13th streets that features residential units and retail space. The four-story building currently has a Japanese deli and cafe called Mi-Ne on the ground floor. 

Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com.