The “culinary collective” known as Local Kitchens has closed about half of its locations in recent months.
The concept that began as a ghost kitchen in Northern California had grown to 13 units, opening its first location in Southern California in June. Less than five months later, however that Los Angeles location is closed, as are a number of others.
Local Kitchens’ website lists six units still open in Northern California: Cupertino, Davis, Lafayette, Mill Valley, Redwood Shores and San Bruno.
Jay Gentile, who had been appointed CEO of Local Kitchens in July, declined to comment, other than to confirm the locations that remain open as of Monday.
In an interview earlier this year, Gentile said the company was plotting expansion, though with an evolved model.
The Southern California location was designed to be a prototype for future growth, with more of an emphasis on dine in, though off-premise was still expected to be a significant channel.
Local Kitchens featured multiple menus from chefs and culinary influencers popular on social media, like TikTok star Tue Nguyen (known as @TwayDaBae) and Rick Martinez of the cookbook “Salsa Daddy.” All the menus were produced out of one kitchen, but guests could order dishes from any of the menus.
Local Kitchens has partnered with brands like Square Pie Guys, Boba Guys, Proposition Chicken, a burger concept from Chef Alvin Cailan (of Eggslut fame) and a Mediterranean concept from Einat Admony (of Balboosta and Taim in New York).
The concept was founded in 2020 by former DoorDash executives Andrew Munday and Jon Goldsmith. Last year, Local Kitchens had raised about $40 million for expansion, led by General Catalyst, a venture capital firm and existing investor.
But the pandemic-fueled ghost kitchen model never seemed to find traction. Many pivoted to become more like food halls.
Meanwhile, on the East Coast, a similar ghost-kitchen/food-hall-like concept Wonder—which calls itself a “mealtime platform”—has raised more than $2 billion in private funding for expansion, but has not yet come to the West Coast. Wonder also owns Grubhub, Blue Apron and the food media company Tastemade.
Local Kitchens will also soon see more competition from similar West Coast contenders.
A Los Angeles-born multi-menu concept called Neighborly is also growing in Southern California.
With one unit open and two more coming next year—including a location in the same Studio City shopping center where Local Kitchens recently closed—Neighborly is being developed by DOM Food Group, which includes Mario del Pero, the founder of Mendocino Farms, and Tony Owen, whose family started the Dominick’s supermarket chain.
DOM Food Group has also helped incubate the virtual concept Goop Kitchen for delivery in Los Angeles.
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