From what I understand(I believe there's a documentary out there) there is a company that helps Chinese immigrants get on their feet in the US by helping them s

From what I understand(I believe there's a documentary out there) there is a company that helps Chinese immigrants get on their feet in the US by helping them start an American Chinese restaurant. They give them menus, recipes, and to your point above...help find places that don't have a lot of Chinese restaurants around. It's something similar to a franchise model. But it explains why you can find nearly identical yet seemingly unrelated Chinese restaurants in every podunk town.