Operations

Local Kitchens expanding to LA with Studio City opening

Photo: Local Kitchens

June 17, 2025

Local Kitchens, a fast casual restaurant brand known for its collaborations with chefs, will open its first Los Angeles location in Studio City on July 2.

This marks the Bay Area-born brand's expansion into Southern California, adding to its 12 existing Northern California locations, according to a press release.

"With our Studio City opening, we're giving guests an open door to discover something new every time they visit — whether it's a dish, a regional tradition or a chef's story," Jay Gentile, CEO of Local Kitchens, said in the release. "At its core, Local Kitchens is about discovery, and this new location brings that mission to life in a city that thrives on diversity, creativity and culinary curiosity."

Local Kitchens offers a unique dining experience by bringing together diverse chef-driven menus under one roof in an affordable and convenient format. The Studio City location will feature signature dishes popular in the Bay Area, alongside newly debuted cuisines. The brand has also enhanced the in-store dining experience with a more personalized service approach and location-specific decor.

The Studio City location will launch with an eclectic roster of celebrated chef partners:

• Chef Alvin Cailan, known for Eggslut and Amboy, will offer a menu centered on the Oklahoma Onion Burger.
• Chef Tuệ Nguyễn (TwayDaBae), cookbook author and chef-owner of ĐiĐi, will highlight Vietnamese street food staples including her signature broken rice dishes.
• Chef Einat Admony, a two-time James Beard "Best Chef" Semifinalist and Food Network Chopped champion, will bring her Tel Aviv-inspired Pitas & Plates menu.
• Chef Ari Feingold, the culinary mind behind Proposition Chicken, will feature his California-style Fried Chicken menu.
• Chef Rick Martínez, James Beard Cookbook Award-winning author, will craft a Sonoran-style tacos and burritos menu inspired by his newest cookbook "Salsa Daddy."

Additional chef partners and menus will be revealed in the coming months.

The space, located at 3960 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Los Angeles, features murals by local LA artist Eric Junker, banquettes, cafe-style workspaces and displays of chef partners' cookbooks, photographs and artifacts. Guests can dine at one of 13 tables, enjoy communal seating or relax on the outdoor patio. Differing from its digital-first model in Northern California, the Studio City location will introduce greeters, cashiers and servers to provide a more hands-on dining experience.

Local Kitchens Studio City will offer dine-in, to-go and delivery services directly through Local Kitchens as well as via Uber Eats, DoorDash and GrubHub.

It was founded in 2020 by former DoorDash executives.