Roy Choi, SF's Daniel Patterson Opening Fast Food Spot

Roy Choi on stage at MAD [Photo: MadFeed]

In a nearly unbelievable mashup, Roy Choi and the Bay Area's Daniel Patterson (Coi) announced this evening at Copenhagen's MAD Symposium that they are teaming up to create a new fast food concept called loco'l, referring to the both the local and crazy aspects of the place. The first location will open in San Francisco in 2015, with the second outlet debuting in Los Angeles shortly thereafter. Both are hoping to open "like a million" in Los Angeles and across the U.S.

The low end of the dining spectrum certainly isn't unfamiliar for Roy Choi, who owns 3 Worlds Cafe, a low-budget juice and smoothie bar in South LA, in an effort to bring fresh, nutritious fare to an area rife with unhealthy fast food. It's also a tangible response to Roy Choi's heart-felt call to chefs last year to tackle the important issue of hunger, reports MADfeed.

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.

The offerings will also include burgers made with a beef and grain/tofu mixture, salads, rice bowls, and "cross cultural" items like falafel and tacos. The first location will aim to open inside San Francisco's economically depressed Tenderloin with spaces averaging around 1,500 square feet.
· Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson Launch loco'l [MadFeed]
· Chefs unite in fast-food idea to nourish low-income communities [SF Gate]
· Roy Choi & Daniel Patterson to Open Fast Food Concept [-E-]
· All Roy Choi Coverage [~ELA~]