Restaurateur Hoyul Steven Choi Expands His SF Bay Area Restaurant Empire to Southern California with the Opening of Sweet Maple – Santa Monica
***For Immediate Release***
Restaurateur Hoyul Steven Choi Expands His SF Bay Area Restaurant Empire to Southern California with the Opening of Sweet Maple – Santa Monica
Sweet Maple – Santa Monica (1705 Ocean Avenue, Suite #110)
Officially Opens This Friday, December 8, 2023
Los Angeles, Calif. – Wednesday, December 6, 2023 – Renowned California restaurateur Hoyul Steven Choi expands his brunch empire throughout California with today’s announcement of the official opening of Sweet Maple – Santa Monica (1705 Ocean Avenue Suite #110, Santa Monica, Calif.) this Friday, December 8, 2023. A few blocks from the Santa Monica State Beach and Santa Monica Pier, Sweet Maple – Santa Monica introduces for the first time an iconic San Francisco brunch eatery to foodies in Southern California. The new 4,000+ square feet locale at the corner of Olympic and Ocean features contemporary California fare with savory flavors from the Korean kitchen.
Hoyul Steven Choi has built an impressive portfolio of thriving restaurants across California (San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Mountain View, San Francisco International Airport, and now Los Angeles). With an emphasis on breakfast, brunch, and dinner menus inspired by classic American dishes with Asian culinary influences, Choi is a renowned entrepreneur dedicated to serving California communities delicious foods while offering exceptional dining experiences. Choi is the restaurateur who popularized Millionaire’s Bacon®, which has been hailed by distinguished media outlets such as Rachael Ray Show, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Business Insider, and Inc.
Sweet Maple – Santa Monica
Get ready Los Angeles for an exciting new brunch destination as Sweet Maple’s fourth California location brings a delicious menu to Santa Monica set within a modern-designed restaurant aesthetic. With indoor and outdoor seating for a capacity of 170 people, innovative twists to familiar favorites are what to expect at Sweet Maple – Santa Monica. Diners will find enticing brunch choices such as Millionaire’s Bacon®, Soufflegg Skillets, Farm Fresh Egg Plates, Scrambles & Omelets, Benedicts, Standout Lunch Items such as the Crab Sandwich (Garlic Dungeness Crab), Jam Juicy Lucy Burger, Kitchen Specials like the Sizzling Stonepot, Tornado Galbi Omurice as well as Maple Plates, Salads, Sides, Equator Specialty Coffee, Mimosas & Spicy Friends (Award-Winning Bloody Mary’s), Morning Cocktails (With Soju), Tea Forte Collection, Sparkling/White Wine, Red Wine, Sake, Craft Beer, and a Kid’s Menu.
Homemade desserts – influenced by Korean, Japanese, and Thai passion – will be designed by the beloved SF Bay Area U :Dessert Story, including pastries, side dishes, Barista’s Favorites (i.e. Truffle Dirty Coffee, Ube Latte, Sesame Einspanner, etc.), and more.
Sweet Maple embarks on Los Angeles with its friendly motto: Happy Morning, Everyday, Everywhere.
About Hoyul Steven Choi
A Bay Area resident for over 35 years, Hoyul Steven Choi immigrated from Busan, South Korea to San Francisco in 1984. Choi received a BA in Molecular & Cell Biology and Physics from UC Berkeley, and went on to conduct biotech cancer research and treatment. While a researcher at Stanford University, Choi and his wife Jiyeon Choi – who moved to the Bay Area from Seoul, South Korea with a degree in graphic design – launched their first breakfast-focused restaurant Taylor Street Coffee Shop in Union Square in 2002. The Choi’s revitalized Taylor Street Coffee Shop following its initial opening in the early 1990s and 10-year tenure under other ownership. Four years later, they took over Fred’s Coffee Shop in Sausalito, a restaurant that was established in 1966. In 2010, the first Sweet Maple opened at Sutter and Steiner Streets in Lower Pacific Heights.
In 2013, the Choi’s opened two new restaurants including Kitchen Story – Castro District and the American-Thai restaurant Blackwood (Marina District). In 2014, they opened the North Bay brunch mecca Kitchen Sunnyside (Mill Valley). Their first Korean restaurant, Berkeley Social Club, opened in 2016 as well as their Fisherman’s Wharf modern Korean/American cuisine-focused restaurant, Surisan. From 2018 – 2019, the Choi’s opened two locations of U :Dessert Story (Castro District, Marina District), and Sweet Maple – SFO opened in 2019. Two new restaurants opened in 2019/2020 (Kitchen Story – Rockridge and U :Dessert Story – Berkeley). In 2021 – 2024, Sweet Maple expands to Palo Alto, Cupertino, Santa Monica, and Walnut Creek, while U :Dessert Story opened along with Kitchen Story in Mountain View in autumn 2022. A new restaurant on Taraval Street in San Francisco will open in 2024.
For more information, please visit:
sweetmaplesf.com kitchenstorysf.com
udessertstorysf.com blackwoodsf.com
kitchensunnyside.com berkeley-socialclub.com
surisansf.com facebook.com/taylorstreetcoffeeshop
Media Contact: Jesse P. Cutler, JP Cutler Media, 415.318.9663, jesse@jpcutlermedia.com