Hospitality veterans Brian Ayala (Amboy) and chef Mario Aguilar (Howlin’ Ray’s) just opened Frank & Frank’s, a new focaccia sandwich shop, in Chinatown’s Historic Central Plaza. The restaurant debuted in the former Burgerlords space on June 10 with a slim
menu of sandwiches, hot dogs, and salads served until late in the night.
Frank & Frank’s menu goes for simplicity with five sandwiches served on sesame focaccia from Ceor Bakery. The Spicy Italian gets layered with spicy salami, ‘nudja stracciatella, olive oil, arugula, shaved Parmesan, pepper, and Maldon salt, while the Chrissy stacks pastrami from the Burbank-based RC Provisions with caramelized onions, American cheese, aioli, and brown mustard. A club sandwich (the Nostalgia) gets revamped with turkey, candied bacon, American cheese, romaine, tomato, and thinly sliced red onions. Frank & Frank’s even has a crunchy peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich with candied Nueske’s bacon, served hot from the plancha.
A double hot dog comes with two beef sausages nestled into a potato roll, then topped with caramelized onions and French’s Brown Mustard. The shareable Dima salad tosses arugula with burrata, roasted tomatoes, olive oil, a balsamic glaze dressing, and focaccia croutons. All dishes on the menu come with chips. Frank & Frank’s officially opens on Friday, July 17, so expect menu tweaks until then.
Frank & Frank’s only offers outdoor seating, but Ayala and Aguilar plan to add more tables and a television screen to watch local teams and the World Cup. Although orders are placed through a window, Frank & Frank’s also stations a staff member outside to greet customers. “Customer service is the biggest factor in why a restaurant succeeds,” Ayala says. “Being behind a window, you don’t feel that service. To be the best, you have to present as the best.”
Frank & Frank’s is named after Ayala’s brother, Frank Ayala, who died in 2024. After Frank’s death, Ayala took time away from his work in restaurants and production to travel internationally for three months. The sandwiches at Frank & Frank’s take inspiration from his destinations and the people he encountered along the way. Ayala met Aguilar in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, and they quickly became friends. After Aguilar departed from Howlin’ Ray’s in 2025 to work in restaurant consulting, the duo decided to go into business together.
Frank & Frank’s joins Chinatown Central Plaza’s longstanding businesses like the 80-year-old Grand Starr Jazz Club, Wonder Bakery, the 12-year-old Blossom Vietnamese, and General Lee’s cocktail bar. Brooklyn’s astrology-themed cocktail lounge, Mood Ring, is expected to open sometime in 2026, directly across the alley from Frank & Frank’s in the former Stay Zero Proof space. Since the pandemic, foot traffic in Chinatown has slowed amid ongoing business closures and gentrification. With Frank & Frank’s, Ayala and Aguilar hope to bring new life to the former Burgerlords space and surrounding plaza.
“Our goal isn’t just the restaurant,” says Ayala. “I want to give people a space to come as we grow and enjoy Chinatown again. I think we can get back to that.”
Frank & Frank’s is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon until 11 p.m., and until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday at 943 N. Broadway Road, Chinatown, LA, CA 90012.
