Kristine Suh of Dosirak Outpost. | Dosirak Outpost Facebook page
Dosirak Outpost always had the “convenience” part of the equation down pat, garnering a solid reputation as a pop-up brand in and around Durham, North Carolina, a city of 305,000 people and home to world-famous Duke University.
Now, the Korean-inspired brand has added the “store” part to the “convenience,” occurring when in April it secured brick-and-mortar space at a local business.
The 300-square-foot back-kitchen spot is located at Remy’s Lounge in Durham and operated by entrepreneurs Kristine Suh and partner Andrew Mehring. Their plan had been in the works to establish a brick-and-mortar presence—seen as a vehicle to become a destination option in Durham, located a stone’s throw from bustling Raleigh.
Currently on a six-month lease, Suh and Mehring said they could either extend the lease or identify a larger space to support its growing product lines, which start with a host of popular Korean-inspired pre-packaged snacks and entrees.
Cooking a passion
Suh said the partners want to make its new footprint, formerly occupied by a bakery operation within the confines of Remy’s Lounge, as a “welcome destination spot for people across the Korean culture that live or visit Durham, and be a mechanism to better help Asian Americans in the area feel seen and connected,” she said. (Remy’s Lounge is a bar known for its South Texas tacos.)
“At one of (our) pop-up locations, I made foods usually served on Lunar New Year,” Suh said. “I had one person tell me that it was exactly what her grandmother’s rice cake soup tastes like. That just brought me back to (her grandmother). I love cooking and love food—and love exploring cultures and being able to bring that into Durham to show people Korean culture (and) Korean cuisine.”
The Korean-inspired c-store model is certain to resonate with a local population comprised not only of local Durhamites but Raleigh residents—a city that’s growing by leaps and bounds. Duke University students come from around the United States and from around the globe. Many are always seeking food and beverages that stretch their palettes.
West Coast transplant
Suh, who grew up in Los Angeles, said that as Asian cuisine and Korean culture become more integrated into the U.S., the time is ripe to offer a brand that’s more than a carryout model but one that melds in convenience store aspects. “I’ve learned a lot and I want other people to as well,” Suh said.
Currently, Dosirak Outpost is stocked with Korean snacks, noodles, Asian stationery, beverages, kimchi (supplied by a local vendor), gochujang and much more.
Suh eventually is seeking to offer grab-and-go items that would include triangle kimbap. The holdup? Dosirak Outpost is waiting to receive a city permit to serve fresh food. Presently, the food offered is pre-packaged.
Grab-and-go on the agenda
Suh plans to establish a grab-and-go area of the store to be stocked with snacks such as crunchy, honey-glazed peanut chunks, turtle chips and a cup ramyeon wall with accessible hot water for customers to cook noodles. She also wants to stock specific Korean ingredients and sell cookbooks.
“It’s honestly a lot of fun to see people enjoy the food I grew up with,” Suh said. “I want to be able to share my love of cooking Korean cuisine—something that other people wouldn’t have tried independently because it is scary to try another culture’s food at home.”
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