It’s taken more than three years for University Park Mall to fill the space in The Villages lifestyle center that was occupied by Bar Louie until its relocation to the nearby Grandview development.
But the mall seems to have attracted a winner with the new KPot Korean BBQ and Hot Pot that recently opened after a lengthy renovation that pretty much required a complete gutting of the old restaurant space.
Among other things, the new restaurant required an extensive hood and ventilation system in the 180-seat dining room because all cooking takes place at the tables of restaurant patrons.
The local KPot is owned locally by four friends ― Michelle and Jack Zhu, Jen Zang and Aaron Zheng ― who wanted to bring the franchise to the region, especially because there are no traditional hot pot restaurants nearby and a thin number of Korean BBQ restaurants.
All-you-can-eat hot pot or BBQ lunches cost $20.99 Mondays through Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. and $30.99 for all-you-can-eat dinners at night and on weekends. Prices are about half off or more for kids, depending on their age, and customers can choose to enjoy both hot pot and BBQ for another $5.
With ordering taking place on tablets at the table, it might take a visit to get the hang of how the new concept works, but staff is willing to help guide the uninitiated and will even cook meals at the table for those who are initially uncomfortable with the idea, says Chris Mersch, regional manager for KPot.
“But most people like cooking their own food,” Mersch says. “It’s kind of a social activity.”
Those opting for a hot pot have a variety of broth bases to choose from and then can add whatever meats, seafood, tofu, vegetables and noodles they want to cook on a cool-to-the-touch induction cooktop at each seat.
Those opting for BBQ select from a wide variety of proteins and vegetables, which are then cooked in a hot electric grill in the center of the table. A handy chart at each table shows how long each item should be cooked.
There also is a sauce bar where diners can choose what they want for dipping or custom build their own.
About the only restriction at KPot is that at least one person in each party has to be 21, Mersch says, adding that there isn’t a limit on the amount a person can eat but there is a two-hour time limit at the restaurant.
There also are no carryout or leftover containers, meaning that you cook only what you can eat, and management can impose a penalty for those who needlessly waste food ― in other words, by cooking a lot more than they can possibly eat.
KPot opened in 2017, and the Mishawaka restaurant is its 66th location, but the first in Indiana with additional locations opening soon in Merrillville and Lafayette.
With a clean, modern vibe and neon lights, KPot has a sort of club feel but an old-fashioned goal of creating a space where groups of friends and families can get together for two hours to enjoy cooking and eating together.
“We’re exactly the opposite of fast food,” Mersch says. “It’s a two-hour experience.”
What once served as a patio at the former Bar Louie location will probably be converted into a waiting space at the restaurant because it would be difficult to move table cooking outdoors.
Hours are from noon to 10:30 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from noon to 11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with the last sitting always one hour before closing.
Though Mersch says KPot generally attracts a mixed demographic, the Mishawaka restaurant seemed to be drawing a somewhat younger clientele during its first days of operation.
That would be good for the mall because some of those diners might hang out to visit other retailers.
“There was a lot of anticipation surrounding Kpot,” says Christian Carlson, area director of marketing and business development at UP Mall. “We were getting calls daily about its opening.”
With that space now occupied, leasing personnel for the mall have shifted their focus to the nearby Granite City space, which has been vacant since the restaurant abruptly closed in 2019.
Carlson says the prospective tenant is a regional restaurant operator. And though he couldn’t provide additional details, the restaurant would bring something new to the market, he says.
“Ideally, we’d want it to be a little more of a destination,” he says.
Have you heard
A new Culver's restaurant opened March 18 at 12561 McKinley Highway near Penn High School. The restaurant is open 10 a.m. to midnight seven days a week and is owned by Mark Nowak, a long-time teacher who was convinced to join the business several years ago by Keith Remington, a regional owner of Culver's restaurants. Nowak, who also owns the location at 5520 N. Main St., Mishawaka, says he's still using his teaching skills guiding young employees at the two restaurants. "Culver's is like the most amazing family-oriented company you could imagine," he says.
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