Vivian Wu is navigating the new landscape of home kitchens in Los Angeles County, which opened applications for home kitchen permits this October. Many in the Chinese community are quickly adapting, transforming restaurants into home kitchens and thriving through culinary entrepreneurship.
“Home kitchens are nimble and can pivot quickly, especially after the pandemic. It’s worth trying,” says Vivian, a veteran in the food industry who ran “Champion Cuisine” in San Gabriel for 20 years. She was among the first Chinese restaurateurs to transition to a home kitchen after COVID-19 hit. In a short time, she shifted from being the “Champion Boss” to the owner of “Vivian’s Kitchen,” using her closed restaurant as a base to supply meals for takeout. Now, her home kitchen caters to hundreds, if not thousands, for group orders, proving to be even more successful than her traditional restaurant.
Vivian reflects on her pre-pandemic days when her restaurant generated a six-figure income annually. Surprisingly, during the pandemic, her business skyrocketed, reaching peaks close to ten times her previous revenue. “The way we operated during the pandemic resembled running a home kitchen,” she explains. “Everyone was stuck at home, and takeout orders surged.” This allowed her to unleash her creativity, designing new menus and collaborating with staff to create unique bento boxes, snacks, pastries, and soups. She even turned lemons, typically used for decoration, into honey lemon, and transformed humble peppers into bottled hot sauces, diversifying her offerings beyond just dried beef and marinated items.
With a diverse menu that is affordable and flexible, word spread quickly, leading to a boom in both takeout and local deliveries. Her group meals often require several cars to transport thousands of servings.
Post-pandemic, just as renovations began at her previous site, Vivian faced the end of her lease. Undeterred, she relocated her operations back home, continuing to produce a variety of dishes. Now, she supplies food for two Chinese groups in the Los Angeles area, with her clientele expanding from San Gabriel Valley to cities like Cerritos, Palos Verdes, and even San Diego.
“I love creating in the kitchen, but I want to ensure that running a home kitchen doesn’t disrupt my family’s life,” Vivian shares. To maintain this balance, she doesn’t interact directly with customers; she only provides meals for group orders. Each week, she shares her menu with the group leader, who relays feedback, allowing her to adapt her offerings. This arrangement means she provides a discount to the group leader, but due to high production volumes, her income remains good. Most importantly, this model allows her to keep her home orderly and her family’s life uninterrupted.
