Kurrito stand debuts in Campustown, fuses Korean, Western cuisine

Jayson+Hansen%2C+right%2C+senior+in+management%2C+takes+orders+from+customers%2C+while+Nicholas+West%2C+back+right%2C+ISU+alumnus%2C+places+the+orders+with+Albert+Cho%2C+junior+in+business+and+marketing.+Hungry4Huh+LLC+sells+the+fusion-cuisine+food+in+Campustown+every+Wednesday+through+Saturday+night.

Photo: Yue Wu/Iowa State Daily

Jayson Hansen, right, senior in management, takes orders from customers, while Nicholas West, back right, ISU alumnus, places the orders with Albert Cho, junior in business and marketing. Hungry4Huh LLC sells the fusion-cuisine food in Campustown every Wednesday through Saturday night.

Yue Wu

Hungry4Huh LLC sells a new fusion-cuisine food called kurritos in Campustown every Wednesday through Saturday night.

Hungry4Huh is a company that formed in the beginning of June 2010, with three founders — Jayson Hansen, Nick West and Albert Cho.

The idea started out through a conversation with Hansen and his girlfriend about starting a Korean sushi delivery service business.

“The idea [grew into] something bigger,” Hansen said.

Hansen decided to expand this idea into something more serious with better potential, so it changed into serving a large customer market that could be easily related to with high product inventory turnover and a competitive advantage.

Serving Korean fusion-cuisine food to college students on Campustown was that bigger idea on Hansen’s mind.

Looking far and wide, Hansen realized he needed to bring together a team of people that could combine the necessary skills in order to make this idea real. West was proficient in Western cooking and culinary skills, and Cho carried the traditional Korean cooking experience required to create the “fusion” of the cuisine behind the business’ product line.

“I know that some of the dishes are not familiar looking to westernized senses, which is why a fusion food would be necessary to begin the assimilation into the typical American palate,” West said.

The most difficult part about getting the business started was obtaining the necessary city licenses and permits so that the business could legally produce and sell food products. To park the cart outside of the location the business is at currently required the permission of both the business owner of the lot and Ames, which owns all sidewalks and roads in the city.

Luckily, with the help of networking with direct contacts from all the founders and the support of friends and family members, the team was able to get the business running. They got the necessary licenses and permits so that the business model could actually begin out on the street.

Since debuting in September, the kurrito stand has enjoyed plenty of business. Hansen said their stand does things a little differently than the others.

“We pay the tax for each kurrito that you purchased,” Hansen said, “and also, we do accept both cash and credit card.”

Future goals for Hungry4Huh include rigorous growth and expansion.

“[We want to] take the company state-wide first; then, with a business alliance with Chicha Shack, the company plans to open up new locations at possibly every location the Chicha Shack is located at presently,” Hansen said.

Nation-wide expansion to be known as a Korean fusion fast-food franchise is the ultimate goal for Hungry4Huh.

Hansen also wishes to create subsidiaries to be managed by Hungry4Huh in order to make the company a conglomerate, in which new ventures will be created in various industries. By applying the same creativity and innovation by the same founding team of the company, Hungry4Huh plans to be of great value to its customers in these new ventures.