Fast Food Revolution

The most anticipated fast food franchise just debuted January 18. Chef’s Roy Choi- LA’s street food savant– and Daniel Patterson- of SF’s two-Michelin star Coi restaurant- have teamed up to create LocoL, a chain of affordable and healthy fast food restaurants located in under served parts of the city. Their mission statement is to provide a fast food concept with the heart of a chef. LocoL’s first spot opened to much fanfare in LA’s Watts neighborhood, and a second outlet in SF’s Tenderloin District will follow shortly- Oakland is slated for February. Choi and Patterson have set out to bring fresh, nutritious fare to areas rife with unhealthy fast food. While the charismatic Choi will be 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 McDonalds and Burger King.

The dishes will be made on-site with well sourced and often seasonal ingredients. They’ve also tapped Tartine Bakery’s– my SF fave for everything sweet- 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 San Francisco location of LocoL will feature a commissary kitchen that will host classes for Patterson’s youth-oriented charity The Cooking Project, and provide a kitchen space for Larkin Street Youth Services, an established Tenderloin nonprofit with which he’s been deeply involved. Choi and Patterson envision LocoL popping up everywhere in the U.S., with their food just as addictive- but way better- than those other fast food joints. www.locol.com