You cannot stop this guy. The Roy Choi empire continues to grow, and now he's taking aim at fast food. The chef/restaurateur who jumpstarted the food truck movement recently announced that he's working on a fast food chain concept aimed at offering low-income communities nourishing, healthy food.
Roy Choi, SF's Daniel Patterson Opening Fast Food Spot
This week at Copenhagen's MAD Symposium, Choi announced that he's partnering with Bay Area chef Daniel Patterson to create a new fast food concept called loco'l, meant to go toe-to-toe with the likes of McDonald's and Burger King, offering communities healthy choices while keeping prices competitive.
Choi, who was inspired by the energy of skate parks, will be more of the front man of the operation. Patterson will develop recipes for bites that will cost between $2 and 6, in order to compete with the likes of McDonald's and Burger King. SF Chronicle reports that dishes will be made on site with "well-sourced" and often seasonal ingredients. They've also tapped Tartine Bakery's Chad Robertson to develop a nutritious whole-grain bun made with 20 percent rice.
They're aiming to open the first location in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood next year, with a second location in Los Angeles to follow. The ultimate hope is to go wide and open "like a million" across the U.S.
More here: Roy Choi Working On A Healthy Fast Food Chain To Compete With McDonald's
More here: Roy Choi: "A Gateway to Feed Hunger: The Promise of Street Food"