Foothill adds taste of Asia

Foothill Boulevard continues to be plagued by vacant storefronts, but two Asian restaurants that moved onto the strip last month could add some activity to the business corridor.

The restaurants, Sushi Zen Bistro and Shabu Town, opened the week before Christmas and are hoping to hold on to customers long enough to survive a challenging region for many businesses, the restaurant owners said.

“We like the location,” said Marvin Hur, the owner of Sushi Zen Bistro.

But Hur, who owns six restaurants in the Los Angeles area, acknowledged the challenges facing businesses on Foothill for years.

“It’s somebody in and somebody out,” he said.

The corridor has at least 20 empty storefronts, a total that has not changed in months, even as the mix of vacancies has shifted.

Foot traffic is slow along the boulevard, where most consumers come by car on preplanned outings to retail outlets, store owners say.

That leaves businesses without the benefit of passing traffic, perhaps from pedestrians who are walking toward a specific store and might see something they like in another window, possibly making another stop along the route, they say.

While foot traffic is a hallmark of other business areas, Foothill is more driver-oriented, creating challenges for businesses that can’t successfully draw customers directly to their locations, said Hyung Yoon, owner of Wow Bento & Roll, which has survived for four years on the boulevard.

“This area is very slow,” Yoon said.

Shabu Town moved into the space next to Yoon’s restaurant, which is part of a shopping center at 3231 Foothill Blvd.

Together with Sushi Zen Bistro, the restaurants are the latest East Asian eateries to move into an area already home to several similar outlets, Yoon said.

That saturation has increased the challenges for new businesses, even as they try to draw on the local Korean population, he said.

A good example was Tofu Village, which closed after less than a year on the strip, Yoon said.

But strong interest in the area from two new restaurants could be a signal that Foothill Boulevard remains a place where businesses want to operate, said Cheryl Davis, president of the Crescenta Valley Town Council.

“I have to think that it’s a very positive sign,” Davis said.

The additions could also be part of a positive change on Foothill Boulevard in 2010, said Jean Maluccio, president of the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“The fact that they’re still coming in shows people feel promising about the coming year,” Maluccio said.

Get in touch ZAIN SHAUK covers business and politics. He may be reached at (818) 637-3238 or by e-mail at zain.shauk@latimes.com.