Zzaam! Fresh Korean Grill now open in Carytown

It’s the second location–and the first in Richmond–of Sweet Frog founder Derek Cha’s fast casual concept.

November 11, 2015; 10:28 AM • by Trevor Dickerson

Sweet Frog founder Derek Cha, who sold a majority of his (several hundred) Sweet Frog frozen yogurt locations, is taking on a new venture. Cha debuted the second location of Zzaam! Fresh Korean Grill last Friday in Carytown.

The fast casual concept, which he started with a food truck and then a brick-and-mortar location in Charlottesville respectively, allows customers to customize a number of rice, noodle, and kimchee dishes with a variety of fresh meats and vegetables–Chipotle-style, if you will. Most meals are priced under $10.

Cha has had a lot of success riding the wave of food industry trends. It begin when he latched onto the rising froyo trend in 2009 when he opened his first Sweet Frog location in the Downtown Short Pump shopping center in the Far West End. The concept spread like wildfire. Fast casual concepts like Zzaam, a segment that was pioneered largely by chains like Chipotle and Panera, have swept the nation in recent years.

Zzaam is located at 3300 West Cary Street in Carytown.

Photo: Zzaam! Fresh Korean Grill