RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Is Bonny's Pizza really worth that wait?

Over a dozen people line up in front of Bonny's Pizza in central Seoul's Haebangchon neighborhood, July 19, 2024. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

Huge lineups out front might make a restaurant look popular, but they also tend to antagonize nearby residents. Is the food really that good, or are all the customers just acting like lemmings?

Long-term residents of central Seoul's multicultural Haebangchon (HBC) and Gyeongnidan neighborhoods will remember a decade ago when a churros stand triggered a massive influx of Korean visitors, who were willing to queue up for upwards of half an hour just for the trendy cinnamon pastries.

That craze has long since vanished, and the only other business in the whole area to come close to that level of attention has been Bonny's Pizza Pub in HBC.

Surprisingly, Bonny's opened in the area even earlier than the churros shop, opening in December 2012. For its first few years, it was more of a sports pub, focusing on underserved sports popular among Commonwealth countries. Its New Zealander co-owner, Malcolm Luke, has even admitted the restaurant's sudden popularity, which has sustained for many years, baffles him.

Philip Turner, former New Zealand ambassador to Korea, even gave it a bit of barbed praise, as quoted by the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea: "It is my local pizzeria – where I order takeaways."

I won't lie. For years, the long lineups out front turned me away. It probably wasn't even until the pandemic that I had the idea to try ordering Bonny's for delivery or pickup. I was surprised that it was that easy to place outside orders, and the wait was hardly 15 minutes. It sure is enjoyable skipping in ahead of the entire line, picking up a hot pie in front of all the hungry queuers, albeit possibly hungering for social media attention, and waltzing off.

When I finally got around to trying their pizza, away from the crowds, it was way more satisfying than I had been expecting or even hoping. Their pepperoni pizza is simple but effective. They have various other pizzas, including the Kimchi Cult, which offers pork, onions, mozzarella and, of course, kimchi, as well as a Hawaiian and a whole bunch of others I haven't gotten around to trying.

A closeup view of a pepperoni pizza from Bonny's Pizza Pub, Friday. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

One thing I like about Bonny's pizzas is the sizes: a small 9-inch "drinking size," a 12-inch regular and a 15-inch large. The prices are also reasonable. Something I don't like is they offer various dough thicknesses, but inevitably seem to only have thin dough whenever I get around to ordering. They seem a little more open to customization for in-house dining than with takeout orders. Also, if you choose the restaurant experience, you can also enjoy their extensive drinks selection.

While it's still cold out, you're less likely to see people queuing up out front in the cold. That means it's the perfect season to get into Bonny's Pizza.

Business seems to be going well, as they opened a second location a few years ago near Seokchon Lake in southeastern Seoul.

Bonny's Pizza HBC is open from 12:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays, with Mondays off.

Follow @bonnys_pizza_pub on Instagram for more information.