For Noah Clark, food isn’t just a business. It’s family, identity, and legacy. Alongside his mother, Reiko Clark, Noah co-founded Box Chicken, a Los Angeles-based ghost kitchen serving what they proudly call Japanese soul food—a blend of Japanese and African American flavors born from their family kitchen.
What started as a family tradition in Los Angeles, then grew into multiple Atlanta restaurants, has now come full circle. As seen in Millionaire MNL, Box Chicken’s story is about resilience, reinvention, and how small spaces can fuel big dreams.
From Atlanta success to LA reinvention
In the late ‘90s, Reiko and her sister, Maggie Antoine, moved to Atlanta and opened their first restaurant, blending Japanese culinary techniques with Southern comfort food. Noah, just eight at the time, earned his first paycheck washing dishes and learning family recipes.
But after a painful split with their business partner, the family shuttered operations in Atlanta. By 2024, they decided to return to Los Angeles, launching Box Chicken from a 200-square-foot ghost kitchen inside a CloudKitchens facility.
“It was a way to start lean,” Noah explains. “We couldn’t afford $16K rent on Sawtelle. Here, we get our utilities included and can focus on the food.”
Ghost kitchens are efficient, but brick-and-mortar is the dream
Operating as a ghost kitchen has its perks: low overhead, no front-of-house staff, and flexibility. Orders come through delivery apps, with meals packed into smart lockers for drivers.
But Noah admits he misses the human connection. “Customer service is huge for us. Convincing someone to try the sauce, chatting them up — that’s the experience we want to deliver,” he says.
Still, the ghost kitchen is a stepping stone. “Our goal is a flagship brick-and-mortar in LA, with ghost kitchen satellites to scale,” Noah shares. “We want people to know us for that one spot, but have Box Chicken everywhere.”
A family business built on legacy and hustle
Box Chicken’s menu centers around Japanese chicken tenders, served with sides like shoyu green beans, potato salad, and Japanese rice. Every recipe traces back to Maggie, Noah’s aunt, who once called him “Luke” while she played “Yoda” in the kitchen.
Their culinary roots are deeply personal. “They’re literally Japanese and African American, so they were raised on what we call Japanese soul food,” Reiko says.
Even with limited space, Noah runs the kitchen solo most days. Catering orders bring in extra help, but efficiency is key. On a good day, they fulfill 30-40 orders. Holidays and local events bring fluctuations, but Noah looks forward to the chaos of a bustling service.
“I miss the rush. The tickets flying. The ‘heard’ and ‘behind’ calls. That energy,” he says.
Looking ahead: scaling the Box Chicken brand
For now, Box Chicken is growing steadily. Customer word-of-mouth is driving repeat orders, but both Noah and Reiko are clear-eyed about the next step.
“The ghost kitchen model works for spreading reach, but we need a real location to build community,” Noah explains. “That’s where people connect with the food — and with us.”
Their vision: one iconic Los Angeles storefront, complemented by ghost kitchen outposts for delivery expansion.
As seen in Millionaire MNL, Box Chicken’s story is more than a restaurant comeback. It’s about honoring family legacy, blending cultures through food, and proving that even from a 200-square-foot kitchen, you can dream—and build—big.
Source: Business Insider
