California Centers, Publish Date: May 2017
California has long enjoyed a reputation as the nation’s “melting pot,” where a vast array of cultures, countries and traditionsare embraced and shared among the masses. While the state still has a few ethnic enclaves and districts, such as San Francisco’s and Los Angeles’ Chinatown and Koreatown, these cultural influences have penetrated many neighborhoods for decades, allowing Californians to become familiar with dishes like tikka masala, ramen and poke.
Thanks to the popularity of quick-service restaurants (QSRs), these exotic fares are no longer confined to fine dining establishments or bustling metro districts. Instead they’ve been adapted to grab a larger portion of the restaurant pie. Many experts believe these concepts are a perfect fit for the state’s latest food service trend…
CULINARY SCHOOL
Learning about a foreign food concept firsthand is extremely prudent. Not only is there tons of fierce competition out there when it comes to the hottest food trend like poke, ramen and curry, but the very nature of these items isn’t always familiar to all.
Joseph Kim, senior associate of Coreland Companies in Tustin, comments:
“The biggest hurdle is getting landlords comfortable with the new concepts―comfortable enough to even bypass a national credit tenant in certain situations.
“Many of the new concepts are capable of doing more sales per square foot than traditional QSRs. However, it is still a risk for an owner to take a chance on a new concept and less-experienced operator.”
For the compete article, go to California Centers’ May edition, page 24.