The Reason Los Angeles Is The Go-To For So Many International Food Chains

They say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, but the same could easily be said about Los Angeles. It's not only famous chefs that are flocking to Los Angeles but international restaurant chains too. The density of the multicultural population as well as the city's massive influx of tourists year-round is fertile ground for international businesses, restaurants in particular, to test the waters of the North American marketplace. 

Take the wildly popular Din Tai Fung, for example. The Taiwanese restaurant famous for its xiao long bao opened its first location in North America in 2000 in Arcadia, California, which is located in a northeastern part of Los Angeles County known as the San Gabriel Valley, home to incredible dim sum and dumplings. Flash forward 26 years later, and the chain now has 20 locations in North America, with four more set to open soon. 

In 2004, the popular Korean bakery chain Tous les Jours chose Los Angeles as the location for its first American store, and there are now over 110 locations in the United States, many of which are concentrated in Southern California. Japanese chain Yoshinoya, the world's oldest chain restaurant, opened its first stateside location in 1979 and now boasts over 100 locations in California. Pollo Campero, a Guatemalan-based fried and rotisserie chicken chain, made its U.S. debut in Los Angeles in 2002 and now has a footprint of more than 100 U.S. locations. 

As an Angeleno, one of my absolute favorite things about living here is the breadth of diversity and cultures that thrive in this massive city. Within 20 minutes (depending on traffic, of course), I can be within arm's reach of almost any type of cuisine imaginable. From Los Angeles' wealth of amazing Korean food, to arguably the best Mexican food found outside of Mexico, to a wide array of Persian, Armenian, and Middle Eastern food, Los Angeles' immigrant cultures have a vast influence on the food and restaurant scene here. Given the dense, multicultural population of the city and county, opening a restaurant from abroad may feel less risky for businesses if the demographic of those who eat or appreciate a specific cuisine is already strong in Los Angeles. 

Additionally, while not all Angelenos are financially secure by any means, Los Angeles is a city with a lot of wealth, and many people who live here have a lot of disposable income to burn. And given how popular and crowded many restaurants are, Angelenos have no problem spending that extra money on going out to eat.

When international chains seek to expand to the U.S. market, they take these statistics into account. Geographically, many restaurant chains on the opposite side of the Pacific, as well as those south of the U.S. border, tend to settle in Los Angeles first. In terms of population density, Los Angeles County is home to more than 10 million residents who bring over 200 languages and over 140 cultures to an enormous swath of land. It's this incredible diversity that makes Los Angeles so appealing to international chains.