A Korean BBQ restaurant is taking shape inside a 1987-built strip mall in Echo Park, aiming to fill the space once occupied by a Central American bakery. KBBQ Lounge is under construction at 280 S. Rampart Blvd., where it plans to operate daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. once it opens, according to the restaurant's pending city filings. No exact opening date has been announced.
The 2,792-square-foot restaurant is proposed for the former home of Continental Bakery, a Central American bakery known for Salvadoran and Guatemalan pastries, as reported by WhatNow. KBBQ Lounge will occupy Unit B and part of Unit A at the address, with an 88-seat, 1,220-square-foot dining area, a 650-square-foot service area, and a 440-square-foot kitchen, plus restrooms, a cashier's area, a walk-in cooler and freezer, and alcohol storage space, per the same WhatNow account.
A Master Permit Doing the Heavy Lifting
KBBQ Lounge is applying for a Conditional Use Permit for alcohol (CUB) and would use an existing Master Conditional Use Permit tied to Case No. ZA-2021-10755-MCUP, according to Los Angeles City Planning. That master entitlement, approved by a zoning administrator in September 2022, allows up to four on-site alcohol-serving restaurants across the shopping center, with a combined cap of 300 seats spread over 15,012 square feet of floor area, city planning records show. The same approval permits beer and wine for off-site consumption at one market within the center and sets restaurant hours at 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, per WhatNow's reporting on the determination letter.
KBBQ Lounge would use one of the four restaurant authorizations carved out under that 2022 approval. The applicant has requested incidental beer and wine sales limited to takeout orders, and under the terms described in the determination letter, the restaurant will not sell alcohol without an accompanying food order, will not let alcohol sales outpace food sales quarterly, and will not offer discounted alcoholic drinks.
Public Notice and Neighborhood Review
Because the request involves on-site alcohol service, nearby sensitive land uses within 600 feet are surveyed, according to Los Angeles City Planning. Alcohol-use applications include additional requirements.
The site sits in L.A.'s 90057 ZIP code, in the Westlake North subdistrict near Echo Park, per city records. Planning exhibit maps show that the plaza has 18,890 square feet of commercial space, while the master conditional use permit covers 15,012 square feet of floor area.
Inside a Long-Running Strip Mall
Rampart Plaza, the shopping center at 264-280 S. Rampart Blvd., is located at the signalized intersection of Rampart Boulevard and 3rd Street, according to LoopNet. Beyond KBBQ Lounge, the center includes two restaurants, a bakery cafe, a market, a beauty salon, an insurance office, and a dental office, and offers 42 parking stalls, per WhatNow's account.
The Echo Park location adds a Korean barbecue concept to the area.
KBBQ Lounge remains under construction, and no exact opening date has been set. Open questions include the restaurant's precise debut timing, how neighbors responded during the public notice period, and whether the space will feature table-side grills or rely on a central kitchen setup.
