One of the Bay Area’s most prolific mini-food hall chains, Local Kitchens, is making another foray into Southern California when it opens this June in Studio City.
Similar to the recently opened Neighborly in Westlake Village, Local Kitchens partners with established chefs and restaurants to combine various menus and dishes under a single roof.
At Local Kitchens, customers come in and see multiple menus like Sweet Onion Burger by chef Alvin Cailan (who owns Amboy in Chinatown) and Tấm Tấm Rice by chef Tuệ Nguyễn (who helms Đi Đi in West Hollywood and is also known by her social media handle TwayDaBae).
Other menus include Yalla Falafel from New York City chef Einat Admony, and Proposition Chicken from the Bay Area, with other chef partners to be announced later this year.
While food halls have been one of the most discussed restaurant operations of the past few decades, the mini-food hall under a single roof and operating out of a single kitchen is a more recent phenomenon.
Think of them like cloud or ghost kitchens, but instead of separate operators, chefs lend their recipes and license their brand and likeness to a company.
Local Kitchens started in 2020 by former DoorDash co-founders Jon Goldsmith and Andrew Munday, partnering with influencers and known chefs to serve popular dishes like burgers and fried chicken.
Patrons order online or through kiosks, where front-facing retail spaces often lack frills like table service or reusable plateware and utensils.
In December 2024, Neighborly debuted in Westlake Village serving Mini Kabob, What’s Gaby Eating, and the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, with plans to open multiple outlets in affluent but underserved Southern California neighborhoods like Manhattan Beach.
Neighborly’s space offers modified counter service, grab-and-go items by Joan’s on Third (which are currently being phased out), and a varied menu ordered through kiosks.
Patrons can sit on the smattering of interior tables or the more sprawling outdoor patio, or choose takeout and delivery.
Local Kitchens in Studio City will offer a more complete dining experience, featuring 13 tables, communal seating, patio seating, ceramic plateware, and murals painted by Los Angeles artists.
In addition, expect more staff to greet customers, take orders, and facilitate service, which will stand in contrast to the “digital-first” and kiosk-oriented approach of Local Kitchens’ Bay Area outlets.
Tấm Tấm Rice by Tuệ Nguyễn focuses on the chef’s take on Vietnamese broken rice dishes, with charbroiled chicken and braised pork belly over rice, spicy pork belly fried rice, and crispy egg rolls.
Sweet Onion Burger has burger maven Alvin Cailan’s Oklahoma-style shaved onion burgers with quarter-pound patties and plush white buns.
Yalla Falafel makes stuffed falafel and amba chicken pita sandwiches, while Proposition Chicken does Southern-style crispy fried chicken tenders and sandwiches.
As diners crave different dining experiences, companies like Neighborly and Local Kitchens are capitalizing on influencer or chef-oriented menus to offer multiple types of dishes under the same roof.
By centralizing the preparation and optimizing the way dishes are prepared, the operators gain the benefits of a food hall while providing more consistent cooking.
Customers gain things like variety alongside the convenience of takeout and delivery.
The only question is, can places like Neighborly and Local Kitchens actually cook food of quality worthy of the names on the menu?
image source from：https://la.eater.com/2025/4/18/24411350/local-kitchens-food-hall-influencers-opening-studio-city
