ROFL Cafe Opens in Moscow and WeHo This Month

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Business partners Alex Vasilkin and Peter Silkin are opening locations of their new concept, ROFL Cafe, simultaneously in Moscow and West Hollywood this summer. Why? The co-owners split their time between the two cities, and no, WeHo is not getting a new Russian dive. Vasilkin and Silkin are adapting their cafe concept to meet the expectations of each city, recruiting local talent to help with menus, as well as the architectural design. See renderings of the West Hollywood location, above.

"We'll have coffee from Intelligentsia and pastries for breakfast. For lunch, we're serving salads, sandwiches, soups, and pizza." The cafe will also serve dinner, and Vasilkin says that both the pizza baker and the chef come from strong culinary backgrounds. Something about a "... celebrity chef, but we can't say who it is yet." Vasilkin has interviewed nearly 800 candidates for various positions at the cafe, and management is currently training their new hires.

ROFL Cafe takes its name from web-speak for "Rolling On the Floor Laughing," though Vasilkin and Silkin changed the acronym to stand for "Republic of Laughter Cafe." Explains Vasilkin, "We want it to be a place where people can have a good time." The West Hollywood location is aiming to open on June 25. [EaterWire]