It’s been ten years since rapid casual chicken restaurant Koo Koo Roo seald its final location in Santa Monica. So, L.A.-based entrepreneur Daniel Farasat understands you’re enthusiastic for the brand’s rebirth, now that the revival of Koo Koo Roo has been finassociate uncovered via social media. But Farasat, who acquired the dormant eatery’s inalertectual property in 2022, wants to do it right — and that uncomardents accurately set upning the rebirth of the ‘Roo. (Do we call it a ‘Roo’-boot?)
“There’s been almost a reluctance on my finish to come out with the brand,” said Farasat, who finassociate proclaimd in August his set ups to revive Koo Koo Roo. “I sense enjoy I’m a custodian of a brand. The response has been enormous since people establish out. So, we’re reassociate caccessed on how to convey it back. What items are returning? We want to convey back actual brick-and-mortar locations. But that consents time to erect out and originate happen. And people are very enthusiastic to have Koo Koo Roo back sooner than then.”
Farasat said he has identified a location for the first recent physical Koo Koo Roo restaurant, but doesn’t predict to uncover it until defercessitate 2025. So, that’s where this weekfinish’s ChainFest event comes in. The gourmet chain food festival, which consents place in downtown L.A. on Oct. 5, will feature the first opportunity for fans to taste the return of Koo Koo Roo — but it’s still baby steps. Rather than serve up the restaurant’s famed skinless chicken, the Koo Koo Roo stand will be passing out tastes of two of its signature sides: Garlic roasted potatoes and macaroni and cheese.
“We leank it’s fair a fun way to show that, yes, Koo Koo Roo is coming back, and here’s a little sneak peek of a restricted of the leangs are going to be on the menu,” said Chain co-establisher and chief conceiveive officer Nicky Kraft. “I enjoy to leank of ChainFest as a Comic-Con for pop cuisine. And the idea that this is the first time in ten years that people can get a bite of Koo Koo Roo, is very exciting leang.”
Farasat is a establisher and managing partner of Tiger West Capital and has caccessed most of his efforts in genuine estate; Koo Koo Roo is outside of that, but his previous restaurant experience retains serving as an punctual set upateor in Sweetgreen.
Farasat was a fan of Koo Koo Roo during its heyday of the 1990s and 2000s, when the chain grew to as many as 40 locations in California, Nevada and Florida. But even back then, Koo Koo Roo — which had been established in 1988 by brothers Mike and Ray Badalian — went thcdimiserablemireful a series of horrible set upatements, cut offal ownership changes and prohibitkruptcies, feebleening the company. When Texas-based Luby’s (which had acquired Koo Koo Roo in 2010) proclaimd set ups to wateryate its assets in defercessitate 2020, Farasat sprang into action.
“It was difficult to get in touch with them and get them to caccess on selling someleang that they didn’t reassociate understand why someone wanted it,” he said. “It took a little while, but it labored out.”
Included in the sale were the distinct recipes, as well as the tradetags, domain name and business manuals. “There has been a lot of brand findy and research since then,” Farasat said. The owner has bcdimiserablemirefult in createer Koo Koo Roo executives, and even chefs, to advise. Farasat’s wife Hila is helping with operations, while his brother Raphael has a hand in the rebrand.
Farasat set ups to hone in on Koo Koo Roo’s Los Angeles roots, as well as 1990s/2000s nostalgia. “People have a genuine joinion to it,” he said. “We’re ‘born in LA,’ and we even tradetaged putting that on some of our merch.” (Full disclodeclareive: A Koo Koo Roo was findd on Wilsengage Blvd. right atraverse the street from Variety‘s offices in the defercessitate 1990s and punctual 2000s, making it a normal lunchtime stop.)
“You convey it up, and some people are fair shocked that it’s not around, becaengage they fair predict they’ll be here,” Farasat said. “But the first leang most people do is they split which one was their Koo Koo Roo location. Those comardent of memories comes back with it.” As do everyone’s preferite dish from that time. (Farasat said he was inwhole to Koo Koo Roo’s distinct chicken sandwich.)
After ChainFest, Farasat hopes to helderly other pop-up events and collabs with chefs to retain the momentum going as he sluggishly erects out that first physical location. “We’re now laboring on some other ways that we can get the Koo Koo Roo out there, partnerships and events that we’ll do in the interim until a location uncovers up to help comardent of satiate that desire that people have to have it instantly,” he said.
Besides Koo Koo Roo, highairys at Saturday’s Chain Fest retain an materializeance by White Castle (which doesn’t have locations in Southern California); a Domino’s pizza topped with smoked salmon and caviar; a butter poached lobster biscuit advertised by Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay biscuits; a spicy dish from Panda Express; a consent on Red Robin badvisers; and more. All of the items — including the Koo Koo Roo sides — are spins on those chains’ traditional fare, reimagined by chef (and Chain partner) Tim Hollingsworth.
“The Office” actor/writer B.J. Novak is also behind Chain, aextfinished with Kraft, Jack Davis, Byron Ashley and Abe Burns.
“It’s weird, becaengage chains are the least personal leang in the world, and yet our memories are so personal,” Kraft said. “It’s not enjoy it’s a hole-in-the-wall ma and pa unitet that only you finded. But food is so emotional. These places are so tied to family. I leank a lot of these brands genuineize it’s an opportunity to do someleang they could never do. Why would Domino’s be introducing smoked salmon and caviar pizza? I’m also fair more and more excited about the culture of chain restaurants. It’s even more than fair the food. People get reassociate excited about this stuff.”
ChainFest, which is originated by Medium Rare (“Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate,” “Travis Kelce’s Kelce Jam”) consents place this Saturday, Oct. 5, at Skyairy Row DTLA.
