History

Nowon is a Korean-American restaurant brand founded in 2019 by Jae Lee. Named after his hometown district in Seoul, the brand was built to express a distinctly Korean-American point of view through disciplined execution and cultural immersion.

What began as a grassroots pop-up in a small East Village kitchen was deliberately scaled into a multi-city brand. Through independent ownership and a system-driven approach to growth, Jae expanded Nowon from its Manhattan flagship to Bushwick, Brooklyn, and a precedent-setting licensing partnership in Boston’s Seaport.

The Nowon menu blends bold Korean flavors with the swagger of New York dining. Signature dishes like the Legendary Cheeseburger and Chopped Cheese Rice Cakes have earned national recognition for reshaping how Korean-American food is experienced.

Inside each location, the atmosphere is defined by intentional contrast. The energy of 90s and early-2000s hip-hop and the spirit of Seoul’s pocha culture meet fine-dining precision and operational discipline. The result is an experience that feels raw, familiar, and carefully controlled.

Today, Nowon is more than a restaurant group. It is a blueprint for building a modern Korean-American brand: culturally rooted, independently owned, and engineered to scale without dilution. As the brand expands into new markets, its mission remains constant. Create food with identity, build systems that last, and leave a legacy worth inheriting.