Fried chicken lovers, rejoice!
Tasty K, a Korean fried chicken restaurant, is expected to open on Aug. 21 at 325 E. Calder Way in State College. Tasty K’s CEO and owner, Andy Lee, is a Penn State alum with a passion for cultivating community and culture.
Lee grew up in Korea and moved to the United States when he was 16. Throughout his college search process, Lee was heavily influenced by former Penn State football head coach Joe Paterno and the coach’s impact on those around him. Lee quickly realized that because of Paterno’s impression on him, Penn State was the only university he wanted to attend and sent his sole application on its way.
He was ultimately accepted to Penn State Berks and spent his first two years of college playing Division III soccer for the Nittany Lions. Lee then transitioned to University Park and graduated with a degree in marketing two years later.
“So while I was liking football and learning about coach Paterno, he put so much into Penn State,” Lee said. “He really cared about the students as human beings, not just as a sports team. He kind of taught me how to be this person who’s trying to help the community out.”
Because of Paterno’s influence on Lee’s life and character, Lee knew that one day he wanted to create a space where he could share his love of people and food with State College residents and Penn State students. Emboldened by weekly Korean dinners with his soccer teammates during his freshman year, Lee decided that he would run a business that uplifted diversity with a taste of home.
“I saw sports, music and food bring people from other nationalities together and that moment was beautiful,” Lee said. “My goal is to show there is only one race in the world, and it is a human race and this is how I got inspired.”
Tasty K’s menu will feature three types of Korean fried chicken and the store will operate to-go style. Customers can choose from original, yangnyeom and galbi chicken. Yangnyeom is sweet and spicy, while galbi is soy-sauce based. Each fried chicken option will be served with white rice to create a traditional Korean chi-bob meal.
With the help of a Penn State student-founded software company, Nuntii, and New and Again Builders & Design, Lee and Tasty K are preparing for a late August opening. Diners will be able to check out Tasty K’s traditional Korean fried chicken dishes beginning Monday, Aug. 21, the first day of Penn State’s fall semester, on Calder Way behind the Family Clothesline and across from Antifragile Brewing Company.