From Student to Owner: Korean Graduate Opens Four Copenhagen Restaurants

International graduates in Copenhagen can successfully launch local businesses with community support. Former DTU student Bruce Kim turned a street food project into a dining chain. His company Kopan now runs four restaurants and one food truck in Copenhagen. The enterprise employs around 40 people across its locations.

Kim first arrived in Denmark in 2010 as an exchange student at DTU. He studied transportation and later completed his master's degree in Denmark. Curiosity about Denmark's high happiness ranking kept him in the country. He wanted to understand how local society works.

Kim started selling Korean pancakes on a bicycle in Copenhagen streets. Each pancake took eight minutes to make for waiting customers. He used that time to interview local Danes about happiness. Danish friends later advised him to add kimchi to adapt to local tastes.

In 2014, Kim decided to build a permanent business to create jobs. He credits his Danish friends with helping him navigate foreign entrepreneurship. (Source: CPH Post)