Eater L.A. speculated yesterday that Roy Choi's Chego would be part of the opening-tomorrow Whole Foods DTLA, and it was right: Last night on Instagram Choi confirmed that his Korean/stoner rice bowl operation, which started in Palms but relocated to Chinatown, would get an outpost in the city's newest Whole Foods. His Instagram caption reads: 

Chego DTLA in Whole Foods on 8th and Grand opens Wednesday.
SURPRISE! 🙂
Twisted some recipes, using organic, and making team members smile.
So get your Kombucha, flax seed and a Chubby bowl like nothing ever before.
So proud of this outlet.
The sensation is totally new in the context of a market.

A press release from Whole Foods followed, explaining:

Located in the 41,000-square-foot store’s prepared-foods section, Chego will offer a menu of “favorites” with $12 big kid meals — the Sour Cream Hen House, Leafy T, Chubby Pork Belly Bowl, Beefy T Bowl — and $7 snacks — TheSpiiiiinach Salad, Housemade pickles, Seasonal Veggies and Ooey Gooey Fries.

As far as we can tell, this collaboration between Whole Foods and a local restaurateur or chef is a first for the market, which generally serves prepared foods created in-house by the company. As Eater L.A. pointed out, Whole Foods' recent purchase of local sandwich chain Mendocino Farms could mark a new direction for the company, which may be looking to bring known local brands in-store to give its markets a more distinctive regional feel. 

Not everyone is super excited about the prospect of a Chego location so close to the Chinatown outpost. As Food Is the New Rock/Midown Lunch's Zach Brooks pointed out: law logo2x b

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