Local Kitchens, a micro food hall based in California, has shuttered about half of its stores.
This summer, the brand reached 13 locations after opening its first Los Angeles–based unit. That store has already shuttered, and now Local Kitchens is down to six outlets in Cupertino, Davis, Lafayette, Mill Valley, San Bruno, and Redwood Shores, all of which are based in Northern California.
The concept describes itself as a culinary collective that partners with chefs to co-create multiple regionally-inspired menus under one roof. Some of its culinary partners include Alvin Cailan, Rick Martínez, Tuệ Nguyễn, Einat Admony, and Ari Feingold. Local Kitchens restaurants offer several options like a traditional food hall, but there aren’t separate booths. Meals can be put on one ticket and are made in the same kitchen.
Some restaurants it’s teamed up with in the past include Baby’s Badass Burgers, Backyard Bowls, Chicas Tacos, Locali, SAJJ Mediterranean, Sushirrito, Sweetfin, Koi Palace, and Hanchic.
The Los Angeles store debuted a new in-store dining experience with café-style seating, communal tables, cookbooks, photos, and artifacts from chefs. There was also front-of-house staff to guide customers and share stories behind each meal. Local Kitchens was scheduled to open another store similar to this in Burlingame, California, back in September.
In May, CEO Jay Gentile entered the brand, with experience from Veggie Grill, Legal Sea Foods, Au Bon Pain, and Morton’s of Chicago. According to a news release, his priorities were to strategically expand into Southern California, drive profitability, and develop a more compelling brand identity.
During the summer of 2024, Local Kitchens revealed that it had raised $40 million to fuel growth. The goal at the time was to use the funds to expand throughout Los Angeles and beyond California.
Local Kitchens was founded in 2020 by former DoorDash employees Jon Goldsmith and Andrew Munday.
