David Yun, Steve Choi to Open Restaurant at 166 First Avenue in East Village

The hospitality group behind Korean-American restaurants C as in Charlie and Kisa is set to open its third eatery in Manhattan, this time in the East Village, Commercial Observer has learned.

Founded by David Yun, Steve Choi and Yong Min Kim, the hospitality team (which has no official name) has signed a 10-year lease for 3,300 square feet at Highpoint Property Group’s 166 First Avenue for the new restaurant, according to broker Meridian Retail Leasing. Asking rent was $24,000 per month.

The lease includes 1,800 square feet on the ground floor and 1,500 square feet of basement space, Meridian said.

The new restaurant, which does not yet have a name, is set to open at the building between East 10th and East 11th streets during the first quarter of 2026, according to Meridian.

“They’ll be joining a large accumulation of Michelin Guide, star and Bib Gourmand restaurants in the immediate East Village area,” Meridian’s Bobby Ortense, who brokered the deal for the tenant along with Jacob Mayer, said in a statement.

“But what sets them apart is their narrative; each location they open tells a different part of their story growing up in the South as Korean American immigrants,” Ortense added. “The food is always great, but their thoughtful and creative concepts are what cause so much buzz in the community.”

Meridian’s Greg Goldberg brokered the deal for the landlord. A spokesperson for the hospitality group did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Highpoint could not be reached for comment.

The deal represents Yun and Choi’s third restaurant in Manhattan, after C as in Charlie opened at 5 Bleecker Street in NoHo in 2022 and Kisa debuted at 205 Allen Street on the Lower East Side last year. Kim joined the team for the opening of Kisa.

Yun and Choi, who were both born in Korea and moved to Atlanta when they were kids, have built their brand of restaurants to “reflect their heritage, honor their families and celebrate Korean-American identity,” according to Meridian.

Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.