‘Office’ star B.J. Novak turns fast-food nostalgia into LA’s wildest pop-up

“The Office” star B.J. Novak is taking fast-food nostalgia to a whole new level with Chain, a constantly changing pop-up that reimagines the restaurant and snack foods people grew up loving.

Now open as Chain at Topanga Social inside Westfield Topanga in Canoga Park, the concept brings together celebrated chefs, major food brands and over-the-top collaborations under one roof.

Chief Creative Officer Nicholas Kraft said Chain is built around taking familiar food and making it feel new again.

“All of this pop cuisine is stuff that we love,” Kraft said. “It’s fun to get to play in that world and sort of reimagine and create things that are familiar but are a little unusual.”

The lineup includes chefs Roy Choi, Mei Lin, Calvin Eng and Mason Hereford, each bringing their own take on familiar favorites. Choi offers a Charred Chicken Teriyaki Bowl, while Lin’s Mapo Wagyu Cruncho Perfecto is inspired by the Taco Bell Crunchwrap. Eng’s Crispy Cantonese Fishwich riffs on the Filet-O-Fish, and Hereford serves up a Spicy Chicken Chainwich.

Kraft said the idea traces back to Novak’s belief that “chain restaurant food was secretly everyone’s favorite,” and that even celebrated chefs have strong nostalgic connections to fast food and restaurant chains.

The concept keeps changing, with rotating collaborations, limited-time menu items and merch. Past creations include an Arby’s outfit made from restaurant napkins and a Dave & Buster’s bag designed to look like a claw machine, which has appeared in photos with celebrities including Chrissy Teigen.

Chain itself started as a small parking lot pop-up before growing into larger events and festivals. Kraft said the first ChainFEST in Hollywood sold roughly 5,000 tickets in a day.

“We can’t escape the parking lots,” Kraft joked while looking back at photos from Chain’s early events.

Now, the Topanga Social location gives fans something the earlier sold-out pop-ups couldn’t: the chance to experience Chain on their own time.

Kraft said the response so far has been “overwhelmingly positive,” as Chain continues turning shared food memories into something unexpected.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters