Kimchi Burger crowned this year’s Ultimate Burger
The Bop Shop’s Kimchi Burger has emerged victorious from the 2025 Ultimate Burger Battle.
The Ultimate Burger Battle is a United Way-organized event which enlists local eateries to compete for glory by selling wacky and outrageous burgers over the month of November, with $2 from each burger going to United Way of Thunder Bay.
This year’s event saw 56 local businesses sell more than 45,000 burgers, raising over $135,000 for United Way.
The Bop Shop’s Kimchi Burger claimed the title of Ultimate Burger for 2025 thanks to rave reviews by the Burger Battle’s burger ambassadors, including this reporter.
The burger ambassadors were tasked with rating burgers using a scoring system that included presentation and appearance, taste, originality and creativity, toppings and sauces, and execution, with taste holding double the weight of the other categories.
Beyond the Ultimate Burger award, the Kimchi Burger also earned the first-place award for the People’s Choice Ultimate Burger of 2025, as voted on by fans.
Second place for the People’s Choice went to the Wayland Bar & Grill, while Dawson General Store claimed third place.
Prospector Burger Barn won Most Ultimate Burgers Sold with 5,308 burgers.
The all-star Kimchi Burger earned its top spot by marinating its beef patties in Kimchi, topping the creation with Gochujang mayonnaise, and plating the piece with two juicy pork dumplings rather than French fries.
The Bop Shop’s owners, Thomas Sevin and Minsun Kim, were surprised to find that the burger was praised for its appearance.
“Honestly, we didn’t put much effort on the presentation,” says Kim, “We were concentrating on the flavour… but it was gooey and saucy looking already with the gochujang mayo and the cheese on top, and I think that was enough for the burger.”
Kim and Sevin, who are married, entered the Burger Battle for their first time this year.
The couple accepted their awards with deep emotion: “Every single burger was touched by Thomas… he put so much effort in and so did I,” Kim adds.
Sevin and Kim plan to compete again next year to defend their title.
Some of the participating locations are still selling ultimate burgers for another week, including Bop Shop.





