Kimchi Red’s Three-Restaurant Story Began With a Name and No Restaurant

Alice and Joey Lee had a name for their business nearly 20 years before it became a familiar stop for Korean fried chicken in North Atlanta. They imagined Kimchi Red on Korean food products someday. A restaurant was never the original plan.

Then an opportunity to open a small restaurant came along. The couple took it, started with a handful of dishes and built the menu as Joey developed new recipes.

Today, Kimchi Red operates in Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Peachtree Corners. In written answers to North Atlanta Star, Alice Lee, the business’s co-founder and co-owner, described growth driven by unexpected opportunities, long hours and customers who kept coming back.

“Opening a restaurant wasn’t part of the plan at all,” she said.

From a small menu to lines outside

The Alpharetta location first opened in October 2021 and reopened in May 2022, Lee said. Korean fried chicken gradually became central to the business, with Joey, also co-founder and co-owner, serving as the creative force behind the menu.

The turning point came in 2023, when Kimchi Red placed first on Yelp’s list of the top 25 places for fried chicken in the United States. Lee said the couple learned about the recognition from their customers.

Lines stretched out the door and around the corner. Local news coverage followed.

“We joked that we had somehow become local celebrities overnight,” she said. “It was completely surreal.”

Behind that sudden attention were years of work. Lee recalled long days, longer nights, mistakes and sacrifices. She credits faith and perseverance alongside the customers whose recommendations helped the business grow. Some now travel from neighboring states to eat there, she said.

Three communities, with some differences

Kimchi Red added Johns Creek in May 2024 and a location at The Forum in Peachtree Corners in February 2025, according to Lee. Each expansion grew from an opportunity rather than a predetermined map of future restaurants.

The goal across all three is consistency: the same recipes, preparation methods, signature sauces, seasonings and key ingredients.

The menus are not identical. Lee described The Forum location as a food hall setting, with a streamlined selection focused on Korean fried chicken and popular items. Alpharetta and Johns Creek offer broader menus.

Customer feedback influences the business, she said, but the chicken should retain the same flavor, crispness and quality wherever someone orders it.

Where a first visit starts

For newcomers, Lee suggests K-Crispy, the chicken served without sauce, as a way to taste its seasoning and breading. Jeonju Chicken, one of the original recipes, is her first recommendation for a sauced option, combining mild sweetness, tanginess and savory flavor.

Her other suggestions include Kimchi Fried Rice and Loaded K-Mega Fries. Kimchi Chicken and Mala Chicken are options she points to for customers seeking more heat.

Lee said the work begins before any sauce is added, in the seasoning, preparation, breading and frying of the chicken itself.

Growing without losing the familiar taste

Kimchi Red is exploring further growth, but Lee said another location is not ready to be announced. The immediate priority is maintaining the food and welcome that brought customers back in the first place, while continuing to experiment with flavors.

For Lee, a returning customer who recognizes the taste after several years offers a particularly meaningful measure of success.

“As we grow, I never want us to lose that,” she said of making customers feel welcomed and appreciated.

Photos by SpotHopper, courtesy of Kimchi Red.