Social Activist, Chef, and Co-Founder of Kogi Truck
Roy Choi: Biography at a Glance
- Roy Choi is best known as the godfather of the Food Truck Movement, as co-owner, co-founder and chef of the celebrated Kogi Truck
- Host and executive producer of the food justice docuseries, Broken Bread which won him the James Beard Award for Outstanding Host / Personality
- He is passionate about addressing the lack of accessibility and affordability, especially in food, nutrition, and healthcare.
- When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Choi and his Kogi BBQ food truck immediately began hosting free-food "drive-thrus" for the community
- Star of the Netflix Original Series, "The Chef Show," where he and director Jon Favreau explore food in and out of the kitchen with accomplished chefs and celebrity friends
- Chef behind the Los Angeles restaurants Chego, Alibi Room, and A-Frame, as well as Best Friend at Park MGM in Las Vegas
- Named one of TIME's "100 Most Influential People in the World"
- Author of New York Times Bestselling Memoir L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food
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Biography
Roy Choi is a tastemaker, chef, and disruptor.
Roy Choi and a crew of friends & family started what would be the beginning of the intersection between food, technology, culture, entrepreneurship, and long lines. That comet was called Kogi BBQ and it made a splash on the streets of LA, being the first to use Twitter and usher in a whole new generation of eaters and followers to what would be called America’s first viral restaurant by Newsweek.
Roy was named Food & Wine Best New Chef 2010, TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World 2016, LA Times Restaurant of the Year 2017, and has an award winning New York Times Bestseller memoir called, L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food.
He is the host and executive producer of the food justice docuseries, Broken Bread which explores complex social justice issues in his hometown of Los Angeles and beyond. The series earned him the James Beard Award for Outstanding Host / Personality. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Choi and his Kogi BBQ food truck immediately began hosting free-food "drive-thrus" for the community. He is passionate about addressing the lack of accessibility and affordability, especially in food, nutrition, and healthcare.
He resides in Los Angeles, California where he oversees Kogi BBQ, Chego!, A-Frame, Alibi Room, LocoL, and his first restaurant outside California called Best Friend at Park MGM, Las Vegas. Roy is co-producer on the movie Chef and executive producer/co-host on the subsequent, The Chef Show on Netflix. He is now a highly recognized speaker at events and panels worldwide.
