The allure of off-premises dining has attracted a host of restaurant chains in recent years.
KYU, an upscale wood-fired and Asian-inspired concept based in New York City, Miami, Las Vegas, and Mexico—has joined that growing list.
The stats tell the story. A recent National Restaurant Association study reported that off-premises operations are important to all consumers, but specifically Gen Z and millennials, with 51 percent saying picking up takeout or ordering drive-thru meals is essential to their lifestyles. Another 41 percent rely heavily on delivery.
However, while other chains built out separate, standalone off-premises focused stores, KYU is using its existing NYC location to also house KYU Grab and Go. While the full-service brand is open during the evenings starting at 5 p.m., the off-premises-only concept—available via a walk-up window and set to debut this Thursday—will open during the day from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.
The concept is led by chef Raheem Sealey, who joined KYU when it debuted in Miami in 2016. Under his leadership, the restaurant was nominated for “best restaurant” by the James Beard Foundation and was included on the 2021 list of World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
He now serves as KYU’s global executive chef, overseeing menu development and culinary direction for all locations. Sealey believes the Grab and Go concept is an extension of what makes KYU great.
“We think there’s a good opportunity to capture that foot traffic that passes by every day and be able to provide our product that we think is really great in a grab-and-go setting to customers and create awareness for the restaurant also,” Sealey says.
“We started doing a little bit of takeout to see how it was going,” he adds. “We saw that people wanted to-go, so the goal was to give the customers what they want. That’s how the conversation started and now it turned into the whole actual concept.”
The menu is headlined by the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Short Rib Sandwich, and Korean Fried Chicken Box, along with the Japanese Sweet Potato Chips as a side. There are also three desserts (Mom’s Coconut Cake, KYU Cinnamon Roll, and Seasonal Cinnamon Roll) and Iced Tea from Art of Tea and coffee from Big Apple Roasters.
Essentially, KYU Grab and Go is bringing the chain’s well-known flavors, like its Korean fried chicken and smoked short rib, into a more portable, lunch-friendly format. It’s about giving customers the same wood-fired experience, but in a way that fits into their daily schedule.
“The Grab and Go menu is focused more on the fried chicken,” Sealey says. “So the goal is to create snack boxes and stuff, Japanese Sweet potato chips. So it’s fried chicken and fries, but instead of that, it’s our version of a snack box, like KFC, Popeyes, referencing those brands that have it down pat and execute it properly. It’s the same thing that we’re trying to do but bring that flavor of KYU and being able to give you that awesomeness that we create on the go.”
The Grab and Go concept shares a similar cooking philosophy to its full-service counterpart. All of the prep is completed ahead of time and the cooking line is arranged specifically for speed and efficiency. Notably, the same kitchen staff working the full-service dinner service will also handle daytime grab-and-go operations. The dual shift setup optimizes labor and ensures brand consistency since the staff is already well-versed in the menu and fully aligned with KYU’s signature craftsmanship.
“It’s more technique-driven, more heavy prep-driven, and then easy execution, and that’s how we’re able to be able to do everything in a timely manner,” Sealey says.
While it is ideal for customers to order by walking up to the window at the KYU NYC location, mobile ordering is also available via DoorDash.
Additionally, while dine-in guests visit for food and the atmosphere, making dinner a full experience that could last a few hours, the Grab and Go menu is designed to be ready within about 15 minutes.
“I mean everything that we put on the menu, we already tested it out to see how it traveled—ordered it and got in different situations to see how long it it lasts,” Sealey says. “It was all based on creating packaging to help with the to-go and and for it to last longer. So we did a lot of testing before it became a thing.”
Each KYU location has its own personality, shaped by the city it calls home. In New York—where everything is fast-paced, the foot traffic is nonstop, and guests are constantly on the move—the company found an opportunity to offer service made for New Yorkers’ busy daytime schedules, especially since the NYC location doesn’t currently serve lunch.
Situated in the bustling NoHo neighborhood, the restaurant offered the ideal opportunity.
“The culture of New York City is definitely more of a walking city. Everybody’s always on the go,” Sealey says. “There’s a lot of people that don’t really have time to sit down and have a full-course dinner, but they do have time to stop at a window and grab something and keep on the move. And because it’s such a fast-paced city, we wanted to be able to offer that to people—create food on the go for people that’s always busy and always moving.”
Right now, the full focus is on making this NYC launch the best it can be. But the chain is always listening to guests. If the Grab and Go concept resonates, the chain is open to exploring the idea in other cities, especially its upcoming opening in Los Angeles next year.
“I’m super excited for the concept. I think it was super cool being able to have people that experience it,” Sealey says. “Like I said, they’re so busy that they don’t really have time to sit down and eat, but we could give that option of hey, let’s grab it, and you have the same quality
