2017 SUCCESS Achiever of the Year: Roy Choi

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“Please, let’s do something and feed those that we’re not reaching collectively.”

 

Roy Choi’s claim to fame is being the founder of the modern food truck movement. He’s the mind behind one of the most successful food-truck chains in Los Angeles: Kogi, which serves Korean-inspired tacos. He was the first food truck owner to win the distinction of “Best New Chefs” from Food & Wine magazine.

In 2017 Choi, 47, launched LocoL: a healthy fast-food spot aimed at providing nutritious and quick food to underserved neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Choi says he hopes to expand LocoL to every inner city in the U.S.

Choi’s most challenging experiences have shaped who he is today. In his memoir, L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food, Choi writes about overcoming addictions to alcohol, crack and gambling when he was a teenager and young adult. “I’m addicted to feeding people now. It’s a good thing.”

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Read more 2017 SUCCESS Achievers of the Year stories:


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This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of SUCCESS magazine.

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Jamie Friedlander is a freelance writer based in Chicago and the former features editor of SUCCESS magazine. Her work has been published in The Cut, VICE, Inc., The Chicago Tribune and Business Insider, among other publications. When she's not writing, she can usually be found drinking matcha tea into excess, traveling somewhere new with her husband or surfing Etsy late into the night.

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