Kogi Korean BBQ facts for kids
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| Industry | Food trucks |
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| Founded | November 19, 2008 in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Founders | Mark Manguera Caroline Shin |
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Key people
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Roy Choi (Chief chef) |
Kogi Korean BBQ is a famous group of five Food trucks in Los Angeles. They are well-known for mixing Korean and Mexican food. They also use the internet, especially Twitter and YouTube, to share where they are and what they offer.
Some popular dishes include Spicy Pork Tacos, Kimchi Quesadillas, and Short Rib Sliders. Mark Manguera, one of the founders, married into a Korean family. This inspired him to combine Mexican and Korean flavors. Kogi has won many awards. These include a Bon Appétit Award in 2009. Roy Choi was named "Best New Chef" by Food & Wine in 2010. This was the first time a food truck chef received this award.
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How Kogi Started
The Kogi food truck did not become popular right away. For several weeks, they parked in different places. But they did not get any customers. So, Kogi started visiting clubs. They gave free samples to the bouncers. The bouncers loved the food and told others about it.
Kogi's first big success happened outside a place called Green Door in Hollywood. They contacted food bloggers to try their tacos. The bloggers wrote about Kogi, and people got excited.
Using Social Media
Kogi then started using Twitter to announce where their trucks would be. This created a lot of buzz on social networking services. Newsweek magazine even called Kogi "America's first viral eatery." This means it became famous very quickly through the internet.
How Kogi Operates
Kogi was started by Mark Manguera and Caroline Shin. Mark's friend, Roy Choi, is the main chef. He went to the Culinary Institute of America. Mark's sister-in-law, Alice Shin, manages their online presence. She posts and tweets regularly to keep customers informed.
Kogi did not have a fixed location at first. Like many LA taco trucks, they drove around the city. They would park for a few hours in different spots. Their fan base grew by using the internet and cell phones. They created an online "Kogi Kulture." By mid-2009, they had 36,000 Twitter followers. They also opened their first fixed spot inside the Alibi Room, a local lounge. By mid-2011, Kogi had grown from one truck to five.
In 2010, the people behind Kogi opened two new restaurants. These places also served Korean-inspired food. The restaurant Chego opened on April 7, 2010. It mainly focused on serving food in bowls. Another restaurant and bar, The A-Frame, opened on November 4, 2010. It was built from an old IHOP building.
Kogi also opened a fixed location at the Los Angeles International Airport in December 2014. This spot was in Terminal 4. It was designed to look like a Kogi food truck. In November 2015, Kogi left the airport. Another local restaurant, Border Grill, took over the food truck space. This was part of the airport's plan to change vendors every few months.
Kogi Taqueria Restaurants
In April 2016, Kogi opened its first permanent restaurant. It was in Palms. This restaurant was called Kogi Taqueria. It served all the popular items from the food truck menu. It also had some Mexican-American favorites like carne asada tacos. The restaurant was designed to look like a garage. This is where the food trucks are kept when they are not working.
Seven months later, a second Kogi Taqueria opened. This one was inside a Whole Foods Market in El Segundo. It opened in November 2016.
Why Kogi Became Popular
One big reason for Kogi's success is the food itself. The New York Times newspaper said that Kogi's food "does not fit into any known culinary category." This means it was very unique.
Los Angeles has many people from different cultures. Kogi uses this by combining flavors that many people already know.
The popularity of Kogi is not just about the taste. It is also about the social experience. The Los Angeles Times newspaper said that the truck and its team became "a sort of roving party." It brought people to new neighborhoods. It also helped strangers talk to each other.
Images for kids
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Kogi food truck
