Feb. 5, 2025

About 20 groups were waiting when the doors opened at noon today for KPOT, the new restaurant that features Korean barbecue and hot pot that diners cook at their table.

“It’s been pretty good,” said co-owner Anna Zheng of the long-awaited opening day for the restaurant at 2814 S. Louise Ave. KPOT is in a retail center between Sally Beauty Supply and PetSmart.

Local diners are known for flocking to new restaurants, and KPOT doesn’t take reservations, so it’s first come, first served, Zheng noted, adding that everyone in a dining group needs to be there before they’ll be seated.

The restaurant, which offers a nightclub vibe with dark walls and lots of purple neon lights, has seating for about 200 diners.

The interactive dining experience begins with customers ordering the ingredients for their all-you-can-eat meals from a tablet at the table.

Diners who pick the hot pot option get their own bowl filled with one of eight flavors of broth and use that to cook the meats, vegetables and noodles they choose.

Those who choose barbecue have a grill at their table to cook their own meats and vegetables.

A gluten-friendly menu is available with lots of options for diners.

At the sauce bar, there are recipes for more than 100 dipping sauces, or diners can create their own.

KPOT has a full liquor license, so there’s an extensive cocktail menu, along with lots of mocktail options for those who don’t drink alcohol.

All meals are all-you-can-eat with prices starting at $21 per person for lunch and $31 for dinner. Order both hot pot and barbecue, and the price is $5 more per person.

The restaurant continues to hire. About 60 of the 150 people hired that were part of training before KPOT opened didn’t make the cut, she said. Jobs are posted on Indeed.

KPOT’s hours are noon to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with the last seating one hour before closing.