![Customers Tonia and Gavin Belanger sit down for dinner at the grand opening of Asian Soul's Copa Kitchen on May 8, 2024. [Monica D. Spencer]](https://www.inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/spencer-050824-asian-seoul-copa-kitchen-grand-opening-web-696x464.jpg "spencer-050824-asian-seoul-copa-kitchen-grand-opening")
It's official, Maricopa. There is now a permanent place in town where you can buy a plate of bulgogi.
Asian Soul's Copa Kitchen hosted the grand opening of its brick-and-mortar restaurant located at 20924 N. John Wayne Pkwy., Ste. D7, tonight we went to a fully booked dining room.
The restaurant had a soft opening on April 12 with a limited menu and owner Charlotte Stessel didn't make any big announcements at the time.
“It's a mess, but overall I think everything was great,” she said of the opening. “We’re just trying to serve everyone and have a good time.”
Stessel opened his Asian fusion food truck in 2020, and its popularity has grown along with the size of its menu. After more than four years in her truck, she said the time was finally right to move into her storefront.
“This spot came up and we jumped on it,” Stessel said. Inmaricopa March.
Longtime Asian Soul fans Tonia Belanger and her son Gavin said they have been patronizing the food truck for years and are looking forward to seeing Stessel's dream come true.
“I’m excited for her,” Belanger said. “Although she's sad that the truck won't be coming near her house anymore, she's excited that she opened her store.”
And my son Gavin could only say two words.
“It’s delicious,” he said, taking a bite of spicy bulgogi.
