Stories are sometimes conceived in the strangest ways.

Take Larry Kanter’s piece this week on the inner-workings of Koo Koo Roo. The fast food chain happened to have opened a location near the Business Journal offices this month and I just happened to have gone there recently for lunch.

While waiting in a very long line, I couldn’t help but notice the controlled chaos behind the counter. In the space of a half-hour, they must have handled scores of customers and they were doing it with impressive efficiency.

So I got to thinking: Why not do a series on how L.A. businesses do what they do? Rather than focus on strict bottom-line considerations, this occasional series, “How Do They Do It?” concentrates more on mechanics, whether it’s running a restaurant, an air freight service or a movie production unit.

There is nothing like watching a business in action to see what works and what doesn’t. “How Do They Do It?” is our way of getting you on the inside.

Mark Lacter

Editor