Korean Beer Chain To Open First U.S. Location In Uptown Whittier
The storefront still has the murals from an Indian restaurant that never opened. Now a Korean beer chain is moving in.
The Whittier Planning Commission approved a permit June 15 allowing a Korean craft beer and fried chicken chain to open its first U.S. restaurant in Uptown, next door to Whittier Brewing Co. on Greenleaf Avenue.
DailyBeer will occupy 7006 Greenleaf Ave. — a storefront many Whittier residents already know by sight. Eight years ago, a proposed Indian restaurant painted elaborate decorative murals on the building's exterior and then never opened. The murals are still there.
The commission's approval allows DailyBeer to serve beer and wine, and to stay open until 2 a.m. daily. The city's staff report says DailyBeer's offerings are meant to complement the brewery next door, which the report refers to as Poet Gardens.
A permit approved in 2018, never used
The Planning Commission approved a permit that year for a proposed Indian restaurant at the same address. That business never started operating, and its permit expired.
That permit was broader than what DailyBeer received — it included full liquor, live entertainment and 2 a.m. hours seven days a week.
The building sat empty for eight years before DailyBeer's application came before the commission.
DailyBeer's approval covers beer and wine only, with no live entertainment, DJs, dancing, cover charges or outside promoters. Permit holders have until June 15, 2028 to open.
About the brand
DailyBeer was founded in South Korea in 2014 and calls itself the country's leading craft beer franchise, with more than 400 locations across South Korea, Singapore and the Philippines. The menu pairs Korean fried chicken and street food — tteokbokki (rice cakes), spicy noodles, ramen — with an extensive craft beer list. The business also operates under the name DailyChicken for its food side.
Its international expansion is new. The first overseas location opened in Singapore in 2024, followed by Manila in 2025. Whittier would be its first North American location.
The brand's slogan is "Life is short, drink more beer" — but the city is approving it as an eating place first. The state alcohol license DailyBeer holds requires food sales to outpace alcohol sales every quarter. The permit application's business description focuses on food and beer pairings rather than nightlife.
Too many alcohol licenses?
State alcohol regulators calculate how many licenses a neighborhood should have based on the number of people who live around it. For the census tract surrounding Uptown's business district, that number is only three. But this neighborhood currently has 45 locations with on-site alcohol licenses — and four more allowing off-site sales, like a liquor store.
When a neighborhood exceeds that population-based benchmark, the city can't simply approve another license. It has to formally justify why the area needs one more. The commission did that here, arguing that a new restaurant still adds value for residents and visitors despite the neighborhood already far exceeding that benchmark.
