The 901 Hot Pot & Korean BBQ, the first of its kind in the Memphis area, is ready to expand its Bartlett location and open a second location at Mount Moriah Road and Park Avenue in East Memphis.

Since opening in March, 901 Hot Pot & Korean BBQ has had a steady stream of people, leading to wait times on the weekends of up to an hour.

“We will be able to serve more people with the expansion and hope to open reservations on the weekend,” co-owner Mila Wang said. “Right now, we only take reservations during the week.”

New Eats: 901 Hot Pot is a ticket (and a table grill) that’s hot

The restaurant combines the traditional Chinese hot pot experience with Korean barbecue and has an all-you-can-eat menu, featuring more than 100 items including prime-beef brisket, short ribs, pork belly, chicken, seafood, dumplings, vegetables and more.

“There’s also a sauce bar with more than 20 sauces and spices that you can mix and match,” Wang said.

Customers are limited to a two-hour window, and wasting food is discouraged, as indicated by signs posted at each table.

The Bartlett expansion will have seating for 80 additional people with two party rooms, bringing the total restaurant footprint to roughly 8,000 square feet.

Wang, who owns the restaurant with a group of shareholders, moved to Memphis from New York two years ago and decided the area could use a traditional hot pot restaurant.

Table Talk: What’s the spiciest dish in Memphis?

“New York has a lot of successful hot pot restaurants,” Wang said. “A lot of big cities have one, so we thought, ‘Why not Memphis?’”

Diners choose from a wide variety of meats, vegetables, seafood, rice and noodles that they then prepare on their own at the hot pots and grills located at each seat.

“People ... enjoy the experience because it’s interactive,” Wang said. “People aren’t on their phones, but they’re talking and cooking together and having an experience.”

The 901 Hot Pot was also the first restaurant in Memphis to add robots to its staff. The BellaBot robots show diners to their tables and bring out food when it’s ready.

“It’s a tool and helps keep things efficient,” Wang said of the robotic host. “Most people don’t even think about it after their first visit.”

Table Talk: We’ll always treasure getting to visit with Jennifer Biggs

The 901 Hot Pot has a 10-year lease at the Bartlett location, and the expansion will be open by December. The East Memphis location is expected to open in 2024. Wang said the goal is to open more locations in the area.

“We have customers coming from Arkansas and Mississippi because we’re the only one of the kind in the tri-state area,” Wang said. “People drive a long way to eat here.”

901 Hot Pot & Korean BBQ, located at 2965 Germantown Parkway, is open Monday through Friday noon-4 p.m. for lunch. The price is $19.99 for adults, $7.99 for children ages 4-6 and $11.99 for children ages 7-10. Dinner is 4-10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4-11:30 p.m. Fridays, noon-11:30 p.m. Saturdays and noon-10:30 p.m. Sundays. Dinner is $29.99 for adults, $11.99 for children ages 4-6 and $15.99 for children ages 7-10. Reservations for weekdays can be made online at 901hotpot.com.