SM Entertainment, the home to K-pop stars like Girls' Generation and EXO, is ready to feed you.
On Thursday, SM Entertainment's first restaurant, SMT Seoul, opened in Seoul. The eatery is multi-floor business that offers a variety of fusion food, such as Seoul-style tapas. There are also ample offerings of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese food.
Holograms of SM Entertainment affiliated artists are projected throughout the restaurant for pleasure of K-pop fans.
SMT Seoul has five stories, and includes space for parties, formal dining, and a la carte dinning.
According to the Nikkei Asian Review, SMT Seoul is the first of what is planned to be multiple restaurants. SM Entertainment plans to open similar restaurants in Japan and the United States throughout the rest of the year.
SMT Seoul's opening comes at a time as Korean entertainment agencies are looking to diversify their business practices.
Last year, SM Entertainment's main rival agency, YG Entertainment, opened up a pork barbecue restaurant in Seoul, Samgeori Butchers.
Many South Korean entertainers have also invested in eateries. Numerous K-pop stars and Korean actors own coffee shops and restaurants that fans of Hallyu, the Korean Wave, visit with eagerness.
SM Entertainment previously opened the SMTOWN-oriented space at COEX Artium, a popular entertainment hub in Seoul. SMTOWN at COEX Artium features a cafe, theater, studio, and a variety of other offerings for SM Entertainment's fans to visit in Seoul.
SM Entertainment was founded by Lee Soo Man in 1995, and is one of the largest Korean entertainment companies in South Korea today.
SMT Seoul opened on Jan. 21, and is located at 58, Apgujeong-ro 79-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
Tamar Herman is a multi-media journalist and the co-founder of KultScene. She is a freelance writer and copy editor, and has written for MTV Iggy, Noisey, and Paste Magazine.
