8$ is a series which occasionally highlights interesting crowdfunding projects. Every day, the 8Asians team is inundated by many worthy pitches. We are unable to highlight every one that comes our way, or even the ones we might individually support. The projects selected for 8$ are not endorsements by 8Asians. (To be considered for 8$, we highly suggest you not harass the writers or the editors of 8Asians.)
WHO: Chefs Roy Choi (Kogi) and Daniel Patterson (Coi) are teaming up to build Loco’l, a fast food restaurant using real ingredients. The two chefs are combining their experiences and knowledge to build Loco’l, and offer fast food made with real ingredients, starting with the premiere locations in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood & Los Angeles’ Watts neighborhood. We’re inviting the community to support and join the Loco’l team effort to bring the first location live in 2015!
Loco’l is a team of innovative chefs.
Loco’l is locally sourced.
Loco’l is using quality ingredients.
Loco’l is providing fair wages.
Loco’l is leveraging state of the art technology.
Loco’l is community based.
Loco’l is crazy.
WHAT: Indiegogo project: Loco’l – Revolutionary Fast Food
The Loco’l Vision
Our vision with Loco’l is to create a fast food concept that’s delicious, but do it with the heart of a chef. As chefs, we’re approaching it just like we would another restaurant – design, function, systems, fee and costs, organizations, sourcing, product, farmers, ingredients, recipes, training, all that stuff. Then on the other side of it is being very aware of what fast food is and what it’s become in America, and why it’s so important, popular, and powerful. Not trying to throw all of those things away.
The inspiration for Loco’l came from our previous cooking efforts. Daniel started a non-profit, The Cooking Project, to offer free classes, teaching young people how to cook and the value of gathering around the table. While volunteering and teaching people from the streets how to cook good food inexpensively, and the value of gathering around the table. So many of the kids had subsisted their whole lives on processed food, and it was a revelation to see how positively they responded to real food that they made themselves.
Then he met Roy, co-founder of Kogi—food trucks that serve tasty, hard-to-categorize food. As Kogi’s reputation and success grew, so did Roy’s drive to feed more people. He began opening brick and mortar places that improved their communities, like 3 Worlds Cafe, a fruit and juice bar in South Central.
WHEN: Deadline to contribute is Tuesday, March 10, 2015 (11:59pm PT).
WHY:
We are raising $150,000 to contribute to the building of Loco’l in Watts in LA, and the Tenderloin in San Francisco. We invite you to join us to revolutionize fast food. We have a range of fun perks for anyone interested in pursuing this mission with us.
And please invite your friends to join our mission as well. Use the Indiegogo share tools to share our vision.
We look forward to our grand opening together!
