Chef José Andrés Has His Sights Set On Fast Food

During an interview with Vanity Fair, Chef José Andrés suggested that that time has come for chefs to take charge of "feeding the many," and that the way to accomplish feeding the planet was through fast food restaurants. While the chef anticipated that other chefs would fall in line within the next 10 to 20 years, Andrés was eager to get involved with a fast food empire even sooner.

"José wants to contribute to that, creating a fast-food restaurant," he told Vanity Fair. "Which one? I cannot tell you yet. But will you see me doing fast-food restaurants in the next year, year and a half? Yes."

Presently, Andrés is the owner of several restaurants that feature small plates and experimental cuisine, including 'e by José Andrés, The Bazaar, and minibar, which was featured in a short film. Andrés is the Dean of Spanish Studies at the International Culinary Center, and recently joined The Daily Meal Council.

Surprising though the news may be, Andrés insisted that the story of a well-trained chef bringing his skills to the fast food industry is not so new. For example, look no further than Steve Ells, the founder of Chipotle.

"[He was] the first chef to create a fast-food concept of biblical proportions," said Andrés. "Behind Chipotle is not a corporation; behind Chipotle is a man that is one of the great cooks that created a great concept. So this already began many years ago, it's nothing new. We need to think those ways."

Karen Lo is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @appleplexy.