Background
Chinatown/International District is a regional center for Asian / Pacific American cuisines, groceries and culture. The western half of the district is on the National Register of Historic Places with masonry buildings dating to the 1920s. These buildings, several of which provide housing for Cantonese-speaking elders, Hing Hay Park, the Chinatown Gate and light pole dragons give the district a unique and intimate sense of place. More than 125 restaurants, full-service grocery anchors (Uwajimaya, Lam’s Seafood, Viet Wah and Hau Hau), the Wing Luke Museum and over 200 other retail, entertainment, personal and professional services businesses bring vitality and customers to the district 7 days a week, mid-day to late night.
do business here
Both the Little Saigon area (east of I-5) and the historic core of the district (west of I-5) are in the midst of a wave of real estate investment. More than 18 mixed use multi-family projects have been initiated since 2014 and are in various stages. This includes both new development and rehabilitation and re-modeling of historic buildings. The ground floors of these projects provide a variety of commercial space opportunity.
Small Business Recruitment and Retention
Assistance with finding, assessing and securing the right retail or restaurant space is available to both existing and new small businesses. Desirable new businesses will fit the culture and business mix of the district. Asian / Pacific American owned and operated hospitality businesses, as well as independent retailers and service businesses of all kinds are welcome.
Language support is available to Cantonese, Mandarin and Vietnamese-speaking entrepreneurs with limited English. Serious inquiries may be made to info@cidbia.org.
