Heart N Seoul Korean BBQ Food Truck Moving to Garland Street Storefront in April

Chad Perreault built his Korean BBQ following one parking lot at a time, serving customers at Earthen Ales and Traverse City Commons from the Heart N Seoul food truck. This April, he moves indoors, opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 221 Garland Street, Suite D in the Warehouse District.

The new restaurant, reported by The Ticker as The Three Pigs, goes well beyond a stationary version of the food truck. The space will include karaoke rooms in the back, occupying what was previously a private event space, and a Korean-style photo booth in the entrance. Perreault has described both as staples of Korean culture.

"It's always been the plan to get into a brick-and-mortar," Perreault said. "The food truck was the starting point, because it was cost-effective and helped me figure out working with people and suppliers. It was a great starting point."

Perreault spent years in Korea attending university, teaching, and cooking before returning to Traverse City and launching Heart N Seoul. That firsthand experience shapes the concept he announced in a September 25 Facebook post: "We'll be bringing you Korean BBQ (and some other exciting Korean entertainment) to the heart of the city."

The Heart N Seoul truck wrapped up its final season at Earthen Ales on October 14. The food truck's future remains in flux: Perreault is in talks to turn it over to Earthen Ales as an incubator kitchen for emerging chefs. If that arrangement falls through, he plans to keep the truck running for catering alongside the new restaurant.

"Big things are coming," the September Facebook post read. "Thank you for being part of the journey."

The Garland Street location puts the restaurant squarely in the Warehouse District, where Mammoth Distilling recently relocated its tasting room to 332 East Front Street. The Three Pigs would add a full Korean dining and entertainment destination to a corridor that has drawn steady investment from local food and beverage businesses.