Lawndale welcomes Zonku Chicken as owners open first South Bay location

Vargas Iscanarian, co-owner of Zonku Chicken, told city officials that his family opened the restaurant’s first South Bay location on the day of the meeting and traced the business’s history back more than six decades. "My grandfather started it over 63 years ago, and today is the first day that we're opening in the South Bay," Iscanarian said.

Stephanie Atencio, vice president of human resources for Zonku Chicken, said the Lawndale site is the company’s thirteenth "Lucky 13" opening in the South Bay and described the chain as a family restaurant rooted in Armenian and Lebanese cuisine. "We have 0 freezers in any of our kitchens, and it's made fresh for every guest," Atencio said, emphasizing the restaurant’s made-to-order approach.

A Lawndale council member welcomed the new business and noted the storefront had been empty for some time, saying the opening replaces a vacant property with an updated, state-of-the-art location. A meeting participant added that Zonku’s fresh-food approach and wider menu offer more variety and contribute to the community’s diversity.

Isacanarian said the chain’s origins are in Beirut and that the family relocated to Los Angeles during the civil war, later opening there in 1984. He thanked the Zonku team, the City of Lawndale and the South Bay community for their support: "It has been really, really humbling, the incredible love and joy that we're getting from here," he said.

Council representatives and company spokespeople said they hope the location will draw customers and contribute to local business growth; there were no votes or formal actions recorded on the item during the exchange.