Locol’s legacy will be determined by the success of its employees

Perhaps no recent American restaurant got as much publicity as Locol did it when it opened in Watts in 2016, a dream of two star California chefs, an unapologetic focus on supporting neighborhoods of color while trying to revolutionize the fast food business. The brand spawned three more locations in the Bay Area — in Uptown Oakland, then West Oakland, then San Jose. Food & Wine named it America’s Best New Restaurant in 2016. Jonathan Gold named it the Los Angeles Times Restaurant of the Year in 2017.

This summer, Locol quietly shut down the last of its retail businesses, as the Watts flagship shifted from a daily restaurant to a catering event space. The Uptown Oakland outpost closed in 2017, and the West Oakland followed suit in June 2018.

Many believe the company fell short of realizing its dream of changing the fast food industry and revitalizing impoverished communities across the country. Yet others, including its past employees, feel differently: Locol’s legacy should be measured by the successes of people from the communities it vowed to improve.

The company not only launched careers, but it provided a platform for black and brown people to chart new paths in the restaurant industry.

Keith Corbin was a line cook when he started working at Locol in Watts roughly two years ago. Today, he’s the head chef at the Los Angeles outpost of Alta, Patterson’s modern, semi-upscale restaurant.

“Even with (Locol) closing, it was successful in its own way,” Corbin said. “I look at Locol and think about how I was a part of something. I’m sure other people do, too.

Cory Woods started at Locol in Oakland around the same time as Corbin, in a similar role. Soon thereafter, Woods launched a cleaning business based out of the East Bay. One its clients is Dyafa, the Oakland three-star restaurant where Woods now spends his days working as a server.

Gwendolyn Etta, Locol’s former Watts branch manager, began learning culinary techniques from Locol founders Daniel Patterson and Roy Choi less than two years ago. She picked up skills quickly and recently joined the staff at Alta as the restaurant’s daytime sous chef.

“Locol created my career,” said Corbin. “Honestly, there’s no opportunities coming from where we come from. This was it.”

In the end, Corbin said it was hard for Locol to pull people away from familiar, and cheaper, restaurants like Burger King and Popeyes, both of which were right up the road in Watts.

“You have to remember, Locol came into communities where the people already have no source of income,” he said. “Once those foodies and people like that leave, the community couldn’t support it financially because they were hurting financially their damn selves.”

The company was designed to be an alternative to fast food in impoverished areas. Even if that did not work, perhaps it can become an example of what a community-focused business can accomplish.

“It may not have been understood by people and some people might never understand its impact, but I know,” he said. “A lot of us will know.”

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips