With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
Roy Choi Closes LocoL Restaurant In Watts
Roy Choi (left) and KPCC's Alex Cohen sample the food at recently opened LocoL, Choi's new fast food restaurant opening in Watts, on January 18, 2016. (Leo Duran/KPCC)
()
The owners of LocoL announced via social media on Wednesday that they're closing the healthyish fast food restaurant opened in Watts in 2016 by chefs Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson. Their goal went beyond serving tasty and affordable food. They wanted to created a business model that provided jobs and offered a dose of economic development in South L.A.
"It's a community that hasn't had many restaurants build here and many new businesses come in decades," Choi told Take Two in January 2016. "So on top of the normal restaurant stuff, there's also that emotional burden of, like, I don't wanna f*** it up."
LocoL had an auspicious opening — on Martin Luther King's Birthday. Choi and Patterson also opened a LocoL in Oakland and an outpost inside a Whole Foods in San Jose. While plenty of people supported the concept, the food — stuffed tacos, shredded turkey sandwiches, chili bowls, aguas frescas, sundaes — didn't win over many diners.
"It's hard to cook something really, really delicious with a lot of labor, fresh ingredients and vegetables from farmers markets, making sound decisions and ethical decisions on things, and serving it for $2," Choi told Take Two back in 2016.
Support for LAist comes from
()
New York Times reviewer Pete Wells gave LocoL zero stars, asking "Why offer less satisfying versions of what's already there, when they could be selling great versions of something new?"
Choi responded in an Instagram post, writing:
"We all know the food is not as bad as he states. Is it perfect? NO. But it's not as bad as he writes. And all minorities aren't criminals either. And all hoods aren't filled with dangerous people either. But the pen has created a lot of destruction over the course of history and continues to. He didn't need to go there but he did."
Despite that spirited defense — and Jonathan Gold naming it the L.A. Times Restaurant of the Year in 2017 — LocoL struggled to find its niche, both among locals and foodies.
LocoL isn't completely shuttering. Choi says that starting today, it will move to full-time catering. The Watts restaurant will remain open but only as a catering space while the business owners try "to find the most profitable path for growth for our communities and the company." Choi also thanked fans for their support.
LocoL is also closing its San Jose location and had already closed its West Oakland location back in June.
Support for LAist comes from
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The historic properties have been sitting vacant for decades and were put on the market as-is, with prices ranging from $750,000 to $1.75 million. -
Users of the century old Long Beach wooden boardwalk give these suggestions to safely enjoy it. -
The Newport Beach City Council approved a new artificial surf park that will replace part of an aging golf course. -
The utility, whose equipment is believed to have sparked the Eaton Fire, says payouts could come as quickly as four months after people submit a claim. But accepting the money means you'll have to forego any lawsuits. -
The City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposal to study raising the pay for construction workers on apartments with at least 10 units and up to 85 feet high. -
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol.
Best of LAist