downtown’s sixth famima!! opening on same block as neighborhood’s fifth location
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This is getting… interesting. Famima!!, the Japanese “super convenience” mart that has been rolling out high-end shops across Southern California, has staked a large portion of their new business in Downtown LA.
With four locations in Bunker Hill and the Financial District — and one more under construction — one would imagine the retail love would start spreading toward the residential neighborhoods south and east.
So when I found out the newest location is not only located in the Financial District but is on the same block as the most recent addition, I had to check that address twice.
That’s right, folks: According to a liquor license application filed by the company, Downtown’s newest Famima!! will be on the corner of 7th and Flower in the Roosevelt Lofts and is tentatively scheduled to open in February.
You won’t even have to cross a street to swing by from the new Wilshire/Hope branch. Now that’s convenient.
Downtown: Officially nuts for Famima!!, or the other way around?
34 comments
Now there will be a Famima on 6th, Wilshire, 7th, and at 8th. That’s one on just about every block…
“convenient” or “retarded”?
Well, besides the fact that we’ll be seeing the same brand, it isn’t unlike that when you visit New York and see Duane Reade on almost every single corner. I would prefer to see different convenient stores, but that’s what living in a city is all about (for those who forgot what it’s like in Manhattan).
To dt chickadee: Retarded would be the correct answer.
Starbucks was on every corner and established itself as “the” place for coffee. Personally, I don’t care for Starbucks at all, but you can’t say they weren’t sucessful by inundating the market place. Famima is trying to create some brand recognition by employing the same strategy; let’s see if it works.
That’s just stupid! Talk about over exposure and burning out a Brand. At least 7-Eleven does it right. I still get a kick out of that Santa on the Motorcycle at the Mandel Lofts. We need more good corporate community based companies willing to add to the spirit of the “new” downtown. Go 7-Eleven!
I think its fine and I’ll bet that a 7th and 8th location will be announced within the next year. Now that the financial district will be well covered, they may make their way east to the residential neighborhoods - my guess would be somewhere on Spring Street.
To James in #5, Starbucks grew significantly in downtown LA as a result of its acquisition of Pasqua Coffee, which had many downtown locations in SF, LA, & NYC. Thus the proximity issue’s history.
Too bad Pasqua did not survive - really good product.
But Famima is doing all this expansion on its own from scratch - quite a way of entering the marketplace.
A unit around the Higgins building would be welcome to serve the Historic Core as well as Civic Center.
Mind you the 7th/Flower location is actually better for them long term but having them located roughly every block apart even where their demand at lunch time isn’t as high as it seems at least every time I come most lunch times.
They are going to saturate their own market within a small part of Downtown. They should consider a different location like Civic Center near the Courthouse/Disney Hall, Historic Core, Little Tokyo or Union Station where they can cater to the same crowd and gain new customers as well because of either a larger residential base as it is at Disney Hall, Historic Core and Little Tokyo or more foot traffic and waiting as it is at Union Station.
this new location is ideal, but having too many locations too close to one another is not quite good for business because they will be fighting for customers in the slow or down periods.
Revenue will go down and so will the average transaction per person numbers.
They definitely need to add locations in places like the arts district, historic core and south park.
I think they reason that because there are 1,000’s of workers and commuters in and around these stores that they will come and buy.
We will see in 3 months how that pans out.
They must also think that people dont like to walk..lol
Hell i walk all over downtown from chinatown to south park,little tokyo,historic core etc.
This is very convenient for the subway users. i think this one will be the busiest of the bunch and its in an ideal location. We will see how the other locations do though.
I didn’t even think about it, but Jerard is right, Union Station would be a great location.
i agree FiDi (financial district) has enough faminas!!! but is the historic core ready for one? it’s a pretty risky place to invest with all the homeless and such, plus, a lot of new stores end up going belly up - lime cafe, the grill on 6th and main, the rite aid, etc
I guess Curbed should update their Famima!! map from a few years ago. http://la.curbed.com/archives/2006/09/more_famima_now.php
I can’t believe someone is rooting for 7-11.
Anyone shop at that little market on Spring — the one with the new sign? The owner should heed the impact of chain stores and improve the quality of his goods. As Famine-ma!!! continues to spread, no one is going to want to buy his janky stock. The deli offerings are scary.
carter, I miss Pasqua too. Pasqua was owned by a private consortium. When the exclusionary period between Starbucks and Peet’s in the bay area expired, Starbucks made an offer the owners couldn’t refuse (supposedly $25 million in cash)
Sucky on Spring - Which market are you talking about? Cross streets?
please, its not as silly as you all make it out to be. it makes sense to have so many in the financial district because that area is so dense. theres potential for all the tenants above each famima to use the one closest to them.
if they put one on every corner in say, the suburbs, or even a sprawled out urban area (like hollywood or west side), than that would be dumb. but we’re talkin high rises here. they have great grab and go food, why not.
The one b/w 6th and 7th, west side of the street, next to a dry cleaner. Maybe it’s the Hayward Building?
Dear Anonymous you should work for Famima. You’re as blind as they are - ha! Do they own a map? One on every corner if you had your way Famina looks kinda doppy right now. That’s like putting two Trader Joe’s on the same block. I’ll keep rooting for 7-Eleven - did you see the dancing Santa inside the store on 711 S. Olive - funny stuff. My favorite….the Santa on the second floor climbing up …… that’s what downtown is about.
i used to love famima!!! when it first opened (especially the pasadena stores) but now it really blows… it used to be a special store with great japanese food selections now it’s just like another 7- 11. i guess most people are just dont like exotic food choices.
now i dont even shop there
Jerard - there is the one in California Plaza, albeit tucked a bit underneath the hotel, yet it serves the Disney Hall area somewhat.
Sean - Pasqua developed the only ice-blended drink worthy of consuming, something I am surprised Starbucks did not retain, yet kept is own frapp., decidedly an inferior product, yet even it is better than that stuff that they sell at the c/bean - ugh!
@hwoodhunk
if “hwood” is for hollywood then no wonder you like 7eleven bc there is an ABUNDANCE of them there. you see one every few blocks. its the same idea: 7eleven is to hollywood has famima will be to downtown.
i’m always struggling to find a good snack at 7eleven though. famima has food thats much more fresh. and the variety doesn’t even compare to 7eleven.
Who’s starting the pool to bet which one closes first!
YES Annoymous..It stands for Hollywood Hunk. Thank you, thank you, but no photos or autographs at this time. BTW there are only two 7-Elevens in Hollywood. Perhaps Famina could go there and open on every corner on Hollywood Blvd - for all the tourist = should feel right at home. I love my downtown 7-Eleven. They have the best coffee for the stop on the way to work. Well, we already know you’re blind (just like the location people at Famina, who can’t read maps)…..becasue 7-Eleven is full of snacks. And I just discovered they have egg sandwiches for breakfast……I’m in heaven. …Oh yeah….Oh thank heaven for 7-Eleven. See ya at the wrap party Anonymous!
Tune in next week for Anonymous vs. HwoodHunk:
I’m gonna have to hedge my bets on Hwood.. Yes there are only two 7-11’s on the main strips of Hollywood, AS THERE ARE ONLY TWO 7-11’s in the heart of downtown. Famina is trying to clearly monopolize the market, and a Famina on every block is simply pollution.
As a city res forever, I would love to see more 7-11’s over Famina’s, because they are over priced and as they are an Asian owned franchised, it is only about the money, and will not EVER be as into community participation as the 7-11’s. Let’s not forget what is really allowing downtown’s revitalization, SPIRIT -as Mr. Hollywood mentioned, go look at the corner on 7th and Olive under the Mandel. Beautiful.
CONCLUSION:
On behalf of all of our involved Los Angeles enthusiasts, 7-11’s contribute A LOT more to the city. If more convenience stores must go up, 7-11 all day long.
fresh and easy, please.
ewww hollywood hunk- grow up. this is a blog, not the playground. your snappy comebacks are boring. i participate in this blog to exchange information with the community, not to argue.
let me clarify, i live in west hollywood (work in downtown). and there are about 10 7elevens within a 2 mile radius from my apartment, including those you mentioned in hollywood. i have two that are each about 3 blocks away from me in opposite directions, and i don’t think its weird at all. its totally normal in an urban setting to have multiple convenience stores from the same chain so close to each other. the name “famima” comes from the slang term given to the popular japanese store “family mart”. it is part of the modern urban japanese culture to buy from a convenience store at LEAST once a day. breakfast, snack, magazines, etc. i don’t know if Famima!! is japanese owned or american owned, but i bet thats the concept they are trying to follow.
It will work. People don’t like to walk. I for one like to walk all over downtown but my co workers wont walk further then a block! Plus its convenient to the 7th metro station entrance.
This is just another example of how the Japanese are trying to take over OUR downtown. They hate Koreans with such a passion that they will stop at nothing to destroy them. The Pakistani people who run 7-11 and who are REASONABLE enough to only open ONE store are now the target of these hateful Japanese. Does anyone else wish Famima, er excuse me, Famima!! (I’ll tell those Japanese where to stick those exclamation points) would just crawl into the fetal position and DIE.
I mean did you SEE what an amazing Christmas display 7-11 had? It was like the crown of the city. And what did Famima offer the community for Christmas? JACK SQUAT.
oh please. this is where i stop reading.
Agreed with anonymous. These comments seem to always devolve into some sort of racist drivel. Gimme a break! The argument that one chain is more beneficial to the community than the other is ridiculous . The presence of both make a positive impact on the area and i’m sure we’ll see both continue to go head to head in the growing downtown market as time goes on.
@ FamimaIsRacist
Your comments are rediculous and almost comical. These are the types of comments I might expect to see on Curbed or some other site, but not Angelenic. Please do a favor to every intelligent person who visits this site and keep your ignorant comments to yourself. Merry X-mas & Happy New Year.