Kups Co-Owner, Daniel Kim, Might’ve Ordered a Burger, but he Ended up With a Friend for Life

    

Kups Co-Owners, Daniel Kim (left) and Robin Byun (right)

    From Uber Eats driver to friend, to roommate, and finally to business partner; Robin Byun’s relationship with Daniel Kim has been anything but conventional. Kups food truck owners Robin and Daniel met when Daniel ordered Wendy’s through Uber Eats. Robin, his Uber Eats driver, said, “I went to Wendy’s, and it was closed. So, I had to message him, and I saw the name, and it sounded Korean.”

Robin said that it felt kind of random, but he was curious enough to ask Daniel if he was Korean. Daniel responded with 예, which is Korean for yes. The two strangers found out that they went to the same church and became friends.

Kim was a head chef for a sushi restaurant in downtown Greenville, but Byun’s only experience as a cook was in the school cafeteria at Bob Jones University, in the American Grill section. Byun said that he was surprised when Kim asked if he wanted to start a business together. Byun graduated in 2023 as an education major. He said that he enjoys teaching but wanted to have a job that he can be dedicated to and see a future in it.

So, after some deliberation, they made the decision. "We were like, hey, let's just buy the truck." Byun said. "We don't even know how to do the food truck business, what's the law related to food truck or business, we were just like hey, if we buy a food truck, we'll be dedicated to it.”

Kim explained that their food is called Kupbob, which means rice in the cup. He added that it is a popular street food in South Korea, especially for students.

Bulgogi Kup, their most popular item

Colpop Mando, steamy fried dumplings with ice cold pop

So where did Kim and Byun find the special recipes that keep people coming back to their truck again and again? The business partners said that all the recipes are from their church ladies. The Asian grandmothers were eager to help and gave them a lot of options to choose from.

The food truck has been growing in popularity, with a recent article in the Post and Courier and their customers giving them nothing lower than five-star reviews. However, like all businesses, it hasn’t been without its hardships. The Kups truck was made in 1999, and according to Byun, it can only run for about eight minutes before stalling in the middle of the road. That means that the truck is practically stationary. Kim and Byun pay every month to rent out a parking lot on Wade Hampton Blvd, thanks to another BJU alumnus who owns the lot.

Robin Byun taking orders for hungry cutomers

The food truck owners both mentioned how expensive Korean food can be. Kim said that Korean BBQ can range from $25-$40 per person. Kim wants his food to be affordable for students, “especially Asian people. In America, especially American universities, at the cafeteria, they struggle a lot. They miss home food.” He continued by saying that he just wants them to be able to eat for a cheap price.

Byun described a day that many Greenville residents will remember for years to come, “All the roads were blocked, and all the markets were closed…” On Sept. 27, Hurricane Helene hit the Carolinas. Many people were without electricity or food. Thankfully, Daniel Kim was prepared. According to Byun, Daniel had gone to the store and bought a whole cart full of meat and Coke. “What is this like a zombie apocalypse?" Byun joked. "I was shocked and he was like, ‘we're gonna sell all this.’”

Customers showing off their food in the outside dining area

Thanks to the food truck’s generator and Kim’s preparedness, many people still got food on the day of the hurricane. Byun said that people were coming there to charge their phones and stay for about an hour while they ate food and waited for their phones to charge.

Kim and Byun have big dreams for the future of Kups. “My dream is to make Kups a franchise like Panda Express. It's like a Chinese franchise, right? And I wanted to make Korean franchise in the States.” Byun said. He went on to say that his short-term goal is to have a single restaurant and park the Kups Truck right outside. “We're going to park this truck so that people can look over and see how it started. I think that's gonna be a lot of fun for customers and for us, too. So, I wanted to make history.”

So, next time you order food, try starting up a conversation with your delivery driver. If you’re anything like Daniel Kim and Robin Byun, it could lead to starting a business together, and you might just make a friend for life.

The Kups Food Truck