LA Koreatown is rapidly becoming a fierce battleground for chicken restaurants.
When the Korea Daily surveyed the 2.8-square-mile area of LA Koreatown, it discovered 31 restaurants specializing in chicken. This equates to one chicken restaurant per 0.09 square miles. The boundaries of Koreatown were delineated from Western Avenue to Hoover Street, east to west, and between Pico and Beverly Boulevard from north to south. A Google search was conducted to identify restaurants within this area. The findings included a mix of franchises and independently owned establishments, featuring chicken brands from Korea, the American-style KFC, and Mexican-style chicken restaurants.
The area hosts 21 Korean-style chicken restaurants, including popular franchises such as Kyochon Chicken and Goobne Chicken, along with Rice Chicken, Stark’s Hot Chicken, Twozone Chicken, Witch Chicken, and Kokio Chicken. Menu offerings vary from 4 to 24 items per restaurant, including fried chicken, spicy chicken, soy chicken, onion chicken, garlic chicken, Dakgangjeong (sweet crispy chicken), and cheese chicken. Sauce options range from sweet and chili to garlic, hot sauce garlic, teriyaki, lemon pepper, cheese, and garlic parmesan. Prices range from $19.99 to $34.99 for a large-sized fried chicken.
Additionally, there are five American-style chicken restaurants in LA Koreatown. These include Dave’s Hot Chicken, KFC (two locations), Buffalo Wild Wings, and Daybird. Main menu items are fried chicken and chicken tenders. KFC offers a 16-piece fried chicken for $46.35, and Buffalo Wild Wings sells 15 pieces for $26.99.
There are also five Mexican-style chicken restaurants: El Pollo Loco, Pollos El Brasero, Charbroiled Chicken, Pollo A La Brasa, etc. The chicken is grilled over an open flame and seasoned with Mexican spices such as chili peppers, cumin, and oregano, providing a distinct flavor and aroma. This cooking method imparts a smoky taste and a crispy crust, while keeping the meat inside juicy. Mexican-style chicken is priced between $19 and $21 per whole chicken.
The dense clustering of chicken restaurants in Koreatown has spurred price competition. As of May 1, Zombie Chicken is reducing its price to $19.99 from the original $26.99. Meanwhile, KFC is offering 10 free chicken nuggets with a purchase of $10 or more, or a 40% discount on 12 pieces.
Chicken restaurants typically require less capital to start than other types of restaurants, due in part to their high volume of delivery or pickup customers, which minimizes the need for large premises. Moreover, the simplicity of chicken recipes contributes to the ease of starting such a business, according to an industry insider.
“The increasing number of residents in LA Koreatown and the popularity of chicken over other meats make it easier to attract customers of diverse ethnicities,” said an industry insider.
BY HAEUN CHUNG, JUNHAN PARK [chung.haeun@koreadaily.com]
