How Zankou Chicken Made the Trip from Beirut to Hollywood

If you’ve ever been to a Zankou Chicken, then you know how Mediterranean food should be served. The flagship Burbank Location features a prominent mural of a gorgeous olive tree, which sits over the European décor for an incredible dining experience. By the time your food gets to your table, it would be hard not to picture yourself in Beirut.

The fact is that the family who owns Zankou clings to their roots in Beirut, and they have worked hard to establish themselves in Los Angeles the same way they once did back home. Here is the brief story of how they made their trip “across the pond” to settle in LA.

When the Iskendarian family opened Zankou on a busy street corner in Beirut, they owned a small space that was almost entirely devoted to the art of cooking chicken. The family salted their chickens within the restaurant, serving food to people on the street and collecting money on the corner. Everything was very convenient, healthy and most of all: tasty.

Zankou grew over 20 years, but the family needed room to expand. Beirut, the Iskendarians decided, was not that place. They packed up and moved their operations to Los Angeles. There, they became a symbol for quality among immigrants, actors, and other artists struggling to make it in the big city.

Since coming to Hollywood, the family has opened several new locations and sharing their family secrets all across town. Today, Zankou Chicken isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a reason to visit Southern California.