Seoulful Bites Prepares To Make the Ramen Experience More Independent in Reno

In group photo, the McGhann family poses with their interior designer Nisha Stewart (second), and their restaurant consultant Taylor Goodnight (farthest right). Photos and reporting by Isaac Cancoby.

Two years ago, Mitchy McGhann, 30, was scrolling on social media and found an aesthetic post of a vending machine offering food. Just one day later, her mother Sarah was already exploring business space options. That was the genesis of Seoulful Bites located at 1651 N Virginia St Suite 100, Reno, NV 89503, up the sidewalk of Gravitate Reno, which used to be Park Place.

The family owned self-serve Korean ramen bar will open soon, possibly in the next few weeks offering other Asian food options as well as drinks.

“A big part of us is, like, we really wanna have options for everyone,” McGhann explained. “So, we’re trying to find the best

gluten-free ramen, we’re trying to find the best vegan ramen, vegetarian ramen, you know… however we can help with everyone’s dietary restrictions.”

Seoulful Bites is inspired by the Korean convenience stores that are viral on social media for the independence factor. Customers can choose their own flavors, they add their own ingredients, all as they heat and stir their own ramen.

“Our goal is to carry obviously more Korean products. There will be some mix of, like, some Japanese, some Thai and all of that… that’s how they also are in Korea so it’s pretty authentic to the experience,” McGhann said.

The McGhanns add their own spin to their Korean store-inspired restaurant, expressing their own Korean-American culture into the mix.

“I’m mixed. I’m half-Korean, half-white… I think we want to be able to showcase this, like, Korean-American culture too. We’re not trying to be a pure Korean, straight Korean, however it is,” McGhann said.

“There are some other places like in Los Angeles and I think in other states that are building similar concepts but they’re usually like a half smoothie bar with a few machines. Or it’s like a smaller convenience store with a few machines.”

For a general idea of what Seoulful Bites embodies, McGhann pointed out one store that is similar to their business, Instant Noodle Factory, in New York. Her “biggest inspiration” is the Ramyun Library inside the CU convenience store in South Korea.

“They have all kinds of ramen and I think that’s the biggest takeaway from us – we wanna provide thirty plus, forty plus versions of ramen so that there’s so many options for people,” McGhann said.

For those unfamiliar with Korean ramen, McGhann recommends the classics like Jin and Shin ramyeon and even recommends gimbap, which can crudely be described as Korean sushi for the unfamiliar.

The inspiration from the Ramyun Library extends to aesthetic factors as well, such as having ramen cup shaped tables shipped from South Korea.

Even during retirement, Mitchy’s parents remain the busy bodies they always were, helping out with this initiative. Mike McGhann, 75, crafted a ramen shelf for the restaurant by hand and experimented with epoxy for their thematic dining tables.

“There is just so much more excitement and joy into finding a new passion… and to see my dad – he’s more quiet, but he’s really excited that he’s able to offer something to people,” McGhann said.

Meanwhile, Sarah McGhann, 67, has been, according to Mitchy, a “driving force” in the venture.

“She’s a very, like, ‘once she knows, she knows’ kinda person,” McGhann said. “I think it’s actually really beautiful for my parents, just in general, the fact that they want to do this in such a later part of their life.”

The customer experience at Seoulful Bites holds importance to the McGhanns as they share their culture with UNR students and others who will be stopping by.

“We want people to have fun,” McGhann said. “We want people to come in and want to try the weird flavored ramen that they see. Or, like, want to branch out and have different flavors and stuff. We want to be able to help train our staff in being able to give recommendations or like a mystery pack of, you know, ‘try this thing.’”

“My mom has been here for forty years, you know, has evolved into that Asian-American identity and I think being able to showcase that to people and share parts of our culture is gonna be a really fun, and exciting, and almost like a novelty in a way ‘cause I think our shop is a little different…” McGhann said. “You’re not just going in sitting at a regular restaurant… you can explore and have fun and cultivate such a really great environment and that’s really important to them.”

McGhann said that there are “phase two” plans for Seoulful Bites as well, including a twenty-four hour vending machine for ramen and future delivery availability.

“I think right now what we’re trying to focus on in the first phase is just getting up and going,” McGhann explained.

“Once the store closes, on our website – once it’s fully up and going – you’ll be able to press a button that’ll give you an access code…” McGhann explained. “...the customers will be able to come in on their own and be able to get ramen,” she envisions.

Dance group XT 24 is expected to perform on their opening day, which is now estimated for the second week of June.

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