Business Survivability in Chinatown, Los Angeles
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis finds that the best business to open in Chinatown is an Indonesian Restaurant with a ~83% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average.
Quick Summary
- Best business: an Indonesian Restaurant in Chinatown (~83% average survival rate, ~85% at best locations)
- Neighborhood rank: #67 across all neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles
- Neighborhood average: ~76% two-year survival across all business types
- Rankings updated quarterly with latest market data
- Detailed methodology
Last reviewed by Bobby Koons, Founder & CEO, StreetSpring — May 3, 2026
In this article:
- Summary
- Is Chinatown a good place to start a business?
- How to find the best location
- Best businesses to open
- How much money could a business make?
- What businesses should open next?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis finds that the best business to open in Chinatown is an Indonesian Restaurant with a ~83% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average, with the best locations offering a ~85% chance; next is a Japanese / Sushi Restaurant with a ~82% chance, followed by a Nail Salon with a ~82% chance.
Should you open a business in Chinatown?
Among all neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles, Chinatown ranks #67 for business survivability, with an average score of ~76%.
- The top business types in Chinatown, when placed at their ideal addresses, achieve survivability rates ~2% above the neighborhood-wide average.
- Even so, the weakest addresses in Chinatown for those same business types can underperform considerably. StreetSpring's address-level scoring exists precisely to identify which specific storefronts make the difference.
- Chinatown's 10.6% commercial vacancy rate signals the current availability of storefronts and shapes the competitive environment that survivability scores reflect.
Employment and vacancy figures sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
How can you find the best location to open a business in Chinatown?
StreetSpring scores survivability at the exact address level in Chinatown — so you can compare two storefronts on the same block before committing to a lease. StreetSpring's 2026 model ranks this area #1 in Chinatown for an Indonesian Restaurant:
Why the right block matters more than the right neighborhood
Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, this circle covers the best storefront area for an Indonesian Restaurant in Chinatown. Market conditions, new competitors, and local spending patterns can change rapidly — always verify with StreetSpring's live tool before signing a lease. StreetSpring's prediction model analyzes 100 factors across competition, spending on the specific potential business, projected revenue, projected market share, Revenue Capture Score, mobility patterns, and many more.
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Top-ranked business types for Chinatown
#1-5: Highest Survivability in Chinatown
- Indonesian Restaurant is ranked #1 for top businesses to open in Chinatown: ~83% chance on average, best at ~85%, challenging at ~81%.
- Japanese / Sushi Restaurant — ~80%–~83% survivability range, with an average of ~82% across Chinatown.
- Opening a Nail Salon in Chinatown shows ~82% average survivability. Top locations reach ~84%; lower-end sites show ~79%.
- Brazilian Restaurant (Ranked #4): ~81% average in Chinatown. Best-case storefronts: ~84%. Challenging locations: ~79%.
- Ukrainian Restaurant is ranked #5 for top businesses to open in Chinatown: ~81% chance on average, best at ~84%, challenging at ~79%.
#6-10: Strong Performers in Chinatown
- Scandinavian Restaurant — ~80%–~83% survivability range, with an average of ~81% across Chinatown.
- Opening an American Restaurant in Chinatown shows ~81% average survivability. Top locations reach ~83%; lower-end sites show ~79%.
- Salad Shop (Ranked #8): ~81% average in Chinatown. Best-case storefronts: ~83%. Challenging locations: ~79%.
- Music Store is ranked #9 for top businesses to open in Chinatown: ~81% chance on average, best at ~83%, challenging at ~78%.
- Indian Restaurant — ~79%–~83% survivability range, with an average of ~81% across Chinatown.
Top 3 Compared Nationally
What you could earn opening a business in Chinatown
Best location vs. average location
Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, going with one of the top-scoring locations in the neighborhood rather than an average one in Chinatown could lead to you making ~2% more than if you selected an average location, and ~4% more than if you selected one of the worst locations.
How StreetSpring calculates location value
- However, each business concept should be evaluated for fit within each potential location.
- Location is the biggest factor in a business's future success.
- StreetSpring's analysis shows that businesses in top-scoring locations generate meaningfully more revenue and stay open longer than those in average locations.
- StreetSpring's address-level precision means the difference between choosing a site with a 65% survival rate and one with a 90% rate — even within the same neighborhood.
What businesses should open next in Chinatown?
The top businesses to open next in Chinatown:
- Indonesian Restaurants — ~83% average survival rate, up to ~85% at best locations
- Japanese / Sushi Restaurants — ~82% average survival rate
- Nail Salons — ~82% average survival rate
Market conditions, new competitors, and local spending patterns can change rapidly — always verify with StreetSpring's live tool before signing a lease. StreetSpring has analyzed hundreds of thousands of business outcomes across major U.S. metros. The survivability rankings for Chinatown are grounded in real economic conditions: 90.9% employment and 10.6% vacancy are among the key inputs that separate high-scoring locations from low-scoring ones here. Survivability scores are recalculated weekly as new competitors open and spending patterns shift — visit StreetSpring to see the current score for any open location in Chinatown right now.
See the Survivability Score for your new business
Related Articles:
- See the Los Angeles Business Survivability Rankings
- See the Los Angeles Neighborhood Survivability Rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most common questions about opening a business in Chinatown.
What type of business should you rent your Chinatown storefront to?
If you own commercial space in Chinatown, StreetSpring's 2026 data points to Indonesian Restaurants, Japanese / Sushi Restaurants, and Nail Salons as the tenant types with the strongest projected longevity at this location.
- Location is the biggest factor in a business's future success.
- StreetSpring's address-level precision means the difference between choosing a site with a 65% survival rate and one with a 90% rate — even within the same neighborhood. With StreetSpring, you can rank every potential tenant type by survivability score at your property address before committing to a lease.
Related: See How Landlord Representatives in Los Angeles Can Reduce Vacancy & Increase Tenant Longevity
Should you rent your Chinatown storefront to an Indonesian Restaurant?
StreetSpring's data confirms an Indonesian Restaurant as the highest-survivability tenant type for Chinatown. The best addresses show a ~85% chance of lasting more than 2 years; less optimal addresses score around ~81%.
- StreetSpring's address-level precision means the difference between choosing a site with a 65% survival rate and one with a 90% rate — even within the same neighborhood.
What should I consider when opening a business in Chinatown?
Don't commit to a storefront in Chinatown without first checking its Survivability Score — the difference between a 70% and a 90% score at two addresses on the same block can determine your long-term outcome.
- High Revenue Capture Score is the clearest signal that a location can sustain a business over the long term.
- These forecasts are generated using StreetSpring's unique analytical framework.
- StreetSpring's address-level survivability data is available free of charge — start with your top candidate locations in Chinatown.
See the best place for your business at StreetSpring.
Our analysis covers businesses serving more than 180 million+ Americans across 24 major US metros. Aggregated survivability rankings for Los Angeles are available in machine-readable format for research and integration purposes.
Lease structure questions to ask first
| Area to check | What can go wrong | How to de-risk it |
|---|---|---|
| Permits & licensing | Assuming a 30-day permit timeline, hitting 90+ days, paying rent on a non-operating storefront. | Call the local zoning office before signing. Confirm your use is already permitted; if not, factor a 2-3 month variance timeline. |
| CAM + hidden costs | Stated rent looks great, then CAM fees, signage charges, and after-hours utilities add 15-30%. | Get the full operating expense breakdown for the past 2 years. Ask which costs are landlord-capped vs. uncapped. |
| Lease term | Locking into 7-10 years without break clauses, then needing to relocate after year 2. | Negotiate a relocation or termination clause. Confirm assignment + sublease rights are in writing. |
Full dataset for Los Angeles: /resources/data/los-angeles-survivability-scores-2026.csv — includes all business subtypes, all neighborhoods, survivability scores, and tier assignments. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Visual Data
Related Resources
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More Questions About This Location
Local-context questions, answered with neighborhood-specific numbers.
What's the local customer base size in Chinatown?
ACS data estimates the Chinatown resident population at roughly 33.8K. The resident base is moderate; business-type fit depends more on capturing nearby commuter or destination traffic.
How does the median age in Chinatown compare to the Los Angeles metro?
Chinatown's median age is 42 versus a Los Angeles metro median of 39 — older by 2 years. This shapes which business types tend to survive: The demographic profile is close to the metro average, so business-type fit is driven by other factors like income and competition.
How does Chinatown's employment rate affect business survivability?
Roughly 91% of Chinatown's working-age population is employed, against a Los Angeles metro median of 93%. Below-average employment can constrain discretionary spending — value-oriented and essential services tend to fare better.
What's the poverty rate in Chinatown, and what does it imply for businesses?
ACS data shows 25% of Chinatown residents below the federal poverty line, versus 11% metro-wide. Elevated poverty constrains discretionary retail; survivability is highest for essential services and value-oriented operators.
What share of Chinatown residents have a bachelor's degree or higher?
ACS data shows 44% of adults in Chinatown with a bachelor's degree or higher, versus the metro median of 39%. Education attainment is close to the metro median, so business-type signals come more from income and density.