Anyone wishing that a Chipotle, a Qdoba or a Panda Express fast food franchise would come to Northfield will be overjoyed with the opening this week of Gong Loco, a fast, fresh international restaurant owned by a handful of local investors.
The brains behind the Gong Loco brand are Craig Korvela and Ken Pankow, a pair of investors with extensive restaurant and hotel experience.
Diners may already know Korvela, a chef and restaurant manager from his previous fine dining association with Fielder’s Choice, Reunion and Fairfield Inn & Suites in Northfield, Redemption in Faribault and Roma’s Italian Eatery in Owatonna.
“The building drove the concept,” said Korvela. When the restaurateurs first considered the site, they saw a great space that was convenient and had curb appeal. “All those factors screamed fusion.”
Since nationwide franchises such as Chipotle will not locate in a market with a population less than 40,000, Korvela and Pankow immediately saw the opportunity to develop their own mix and match cuisine fusing Asian and Latin flavors.
“This is a healthy alternative to burgers and fries,” said Korvela. “We’ve been tweaking the recipes and exploring options for proteins and sauces. We want customers to take our menu, spice it, sauce it and toss it with noodles or wrap it in a tortilla. However you build it, your taste buds are going on vacation.”
With an open kitchen concept, diners will be able to build a bowl, a salad or a burrito by customizing their dish with a variety of ingredients from rice and beans to noodles to steak, chicken, pork or plant-based tofu.
At last count, Gong Loco was offering 15 different sauces, including six salsas and picos and nine Asian sauces, such as sesame, teriyaki, curry and Szechwan.
“Our ingredients will be fresh and flavorful,” said Pankow. “We want customers to have fun building their bowls. We want to keep the options simple and tasty.” He said most Gong Loco dishes will be priced between $12 and $14, which is in line with similar fast food restaurants in the area. Add on items include chips and guacamole using Korvela’s own special recipe featuring fresh avocados, onions and tomatoes.
Location, location, location
Transforming the former Kwik Trip on Highway 3 and Honeylocust Drive from a gas and convenience store into a dine in and take out restaurant has “been a long time coming,” said Brent Nystrom of Rebound Partners.
Nystrom explained that an arm of Rebound Partners called Freetime Restaurants, which owns Reunion in Northfield and Redemption in Faribault, is behind Gong Loco.
He said the development started with a property agreement with Kwik Trip about two years ago. A long due diligence was required to ensure that the environment was properly cleaned up and tested once the underground gas tanks were removed.
“What’s better than frontage on Highway 3 that’s right across from Target, a lot of traffic and a really good location,” asked Nystrom.
Pankow, operating manager, said Korvela initiated the initial concept for the restaurant once he walked through the property and visionalized the long runway needed for the individualized meal preparation stations.
In the last few weeks, Pankow has hired and trained about 20 staff members. With 58 seats, customers can dine in or take out. Gong Loco will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
With a stoplight at Honeylocust and Highway 3 that allows for easy driving in and out, along with a substantial parking lot and a restaurant menu designed to cut across cuisine cultures, Gong Loco should has the markings of a runaway hit.
“We’re excited to get across the finish line,” said Pankow.
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