Bold, bright, and with glowing neon lights, Gangnam Market opened its doors in Chicago’s River West neighborhood to much fanfare and anticipation.
“When people shop I want to give them like a feeling of shopping in a futuristic mall,” said owner Kenny Yang.
Yang spent years working in Asia as a brand designer and told NBC Chicago he was inspired to bring the popular Gangnam shopping districts in Korea and Japan to the Windy City.
“Gangnam actually means really good, really nice neighborhoods to Asians, so I took this name and tried to give Chicago the experience of Gangnam,” he said.
The 28,000 square foot market located at 1001 W. Chicago has a full-scale grocery store with a mixture of American and Asian staples. Yang said his store has everything you would find at Jewel-Osco, Mariano’s, or Whole Foods.
“I just try to get people everything that I love and share with my fellow Chicagoans,” he said.
Customers can also grab a drink at the bar or dine in the vibrant food hall featuring seven restaurants from ramen to Korean fusion tacos.
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“This is the only turkey ramen I would say in America,” he said showing us around. “This is our bakery, we feature Hong Kong style tradition with a new twist.”
Gangnam Market already creating a buzz on social media.
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“We recently went a little viral on TikTok beforehand so we’ve had increasing amount of people just streaming in getting excited from Instagram, TikTok, all social media,” said bar manager Kim Campos.
Yang spent the past year transforming the former Urban Market space into what he said is a unique shopping experience.
“Growing up in Chicago I guess we suffer enough from different issues so when people come into my store and my restaurant I would like people to feel the happy vibe,” he said.
Yang came up with the designs and drawings seen throughout the store. He hopes customers walk away with a new sense of appreciation for his culture.
“Chicago’s been loving me for the past 30 years and I want to share some of my love to my fellow Chicagoans.”
