(코리아타운 뉴스) Korean Food An Afterthought Outside K-Town

Property owners hesitant to allow lease
Businesses even register under different category
Globalization of Korean food may be a mere pipedream

"Perhaps I shouldn't mention that we serve Korean food or look for a location in a less condensed area."

That was the complaint of Gyeong-ah Jang, who has been looking for a business space for two years to start a Korean restaurant.

Jang has not been able to sign a contract even after contacting 50 different locations in and around Los Angeles for a "casual fast food" joint with a menu built around the concept of bibimbap, a Korean equivalent of a burrito bowl. Property owners rejected Jang's application, saying that Korean restaurants are not to be allowed.

After a previous experience as a Korean restaurant owner in L.A. Koreatown, Jang has brainstormed ideas to serve simple and healthy Korean meals outside of its own neighborhood. That is why Jang has been going after condensed locations with heavy foot traffic. The aim was to target nine-to-fivers and tourists who often seek quick ways find quality food.

"I once found a location on Sunset Boulevard in an area with offices, fashion and film businesses," said Jang. "The property owner said that he is reluctant to lease to a Korean restaurant. I then saw both Chinese and Japanese restaurants enter the same mall. It was discouraging."

Many of the locations Jang initially contacted are in fact still vacant. Perhaps it is conceivable to believe that there is a widely spread negative perception of Korean food. After all, it may not be the popularity of Korean food that is affecting its potential to become globalized.

Jang has also contacted locations near an airport in Burbank and the city hall in Glendale, only to get the same answer. Some even said that Korean food is redundant with an already existing Chinese and Japanese restaurants. Some simply replied that the property owner does not want a Korean restaurant.

It is indeed strange that lease applications are turned down even when the applicant is an experienced businessperson who never demanded a discount on rent.

Commercial real estate experts agreed that it is not just Jang who has struggled to find a location to start a Korean restaurant outside of Koreatown.

"It's not that Korean food is being rejected," said an employee who works for a firm in charge of 200 malls in Southern California. "To be accurate, property owners fear the smoke, smell and the types of ingredients used to make Korean food that could affect other businesses in the property. This sounds unimaginable in Koreatown, but it's inevitable for malls in areas that aren't used to having Korean eateries."

Jang also concluded that Korean restaurants have lower adoptability compared to Japanese and Chinese restaurant for the similar reasons mentioned above. Many Korean restaurant owners agreed.

“Trying to operate a Korean restaurant in Santa Monica, Culver City and Palos Verdes without having to rely on Chinese and Vietnamese communities is like trying to grow crops with a grain of salt,” said a Korean restaurant owner in Diamond Bar. "I don’t have the statistics on me, but it's something everyone already knows.”

A real estate agent, a 10-year veteran only identified by his last name Lee, said: "Outside of L.A. and Orange County, business owners looking to start a Korean restaurants are often forced to rent a standalone property. Some have even registered their business under a different category."

To “generalize” Korean food, it has to be prepared and served in a way that is enjoyable anytime, anywhere, much like Japanese and Korean food. However, the reality is far from that at the moment as the perception on Korean food is still not at the level that many Koreans expect it to be.

To provide a solution, Jang has now tweaked his plan. His aim is to promote his business as an Asian fusion restaurant. If that does not work, his plan B is yo prepare a menu tailored for Hispanic or non-Korean Asian-Americans.


Insung Choi