Pratik Handore
Netflix’s ‘Beef’ is a comedy-drama series created by Lee Sung Jin that explores the escalating conflict between Danny Cho and Amy Lau, two individuals living distinct lives. However, as a desire for revenge fuels Amy and Danny, the duo’s lives collide, leading to catastrophic but hilarious consequences. In the series, the businesses KoyoHaus and Forsters play an important, especially in the stories of Amy and Jordan Forster. As a result, viewers must be curious to discover whether KoyoHaus and Forsters in ‘Beef’ are based on real businesses. SPOILERS AHEAD!
KoyoHaus Is Fictional
In ‘Beef,’ KoyoHaus is a small business owned by Amy Lau (Ali Wong), one of the main characters. While most of the show deals with the feud between Amy and Danny Cho (Steven Yeun), a construction, Amy’s personal life mostly revolves around her business. In the first episode, we learn that KoyoHaus is a plant-selling business Amy started and grew gradually over the years. Consequently, the business is her family’s primary source of income as Amy’s partner, George, is a stay-at-home husband. While the exact meaning of KoyoHaus is not stated, the name is derived from Amy’s Chinese roots. In the first episode, we also learn that Amy is trying to sell her business.
Amy is in negotiations to sell KoyoHaus for roughly $10 million. While Amy and her plant business are fictional, KoyoHaus might be loosely inspired by The Sill, one of the biggest plant sellers in the United States. The company was founded in 2012 by Eliza Blank and Gwen Blevens. Like KoyoHaus, The Sill started as an online business before expanding into retail. Moreover, co-founder Eliza Blank is part Asian and part American, similar to Amy Lau. Lastly, while any large corporation has not acquired the Sill, it is still a million-dollar business just like KoyoHaus. Hence, The Sill can be seen as an influence on the fictional KoyoHaus.
Forsters Is a Fictional Retail Store
In ‘Beef,’ Forsters is a chain of retail stores. It features in the show’s opening scene and is also the company trying to acquire Amy’s plant business. The chain of retail stores is owned by Jordan Forster (Maria Bello), an independent and powerful business mogul in Los Angeles. However, it is implied that Jordan is not the sole owner of Forsters, and it is actually a family-owned business. Nonetheless, Jordan primarily looks after Forsters as she is the company’s CEO. Aside from retail stores, Forsters also dabbles into other aspects of the retail space. Given the widespread influence of Jordan and the presence of Forsters across Los Angeles, it is likely that the retail chain is based on Walmart.
Founded in 1962, Walmart is one of the largest family-owned retail stores in the United States. Its International division is headed by Judith McKenna, similar to how Jordan leads Forsters. Meanwhile, Forsters might also draw some inspiration from TJX Companies, an off-price department store corporation. It was founded in 1987, and Carol Meyrowitz is its Chief Executive, resembling Jordan’s influence on Forsters. Nonetheless, Forsters is primarily a fictional chain of retail stores. However, its similarities with real-life retail corporations only further the show’s semblance of reality without basing its own, Jordan, on any real person.
Read More: Is Netflix’s Beef Based on a True Story?
