<PAGE>

  As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 3, 1997


                                                    Registration No. 333-       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                                       FORM S-8

                                    --------------

                                REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                        UNDER 
                              THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                  KOO KOO ROO, INC.
                  (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

         DELAWARE                                          22-3132583
         (State or other jurisdiction of                   (I.R.S. Employer
         incorporation or organization)                    Identification No.)


         11075 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 225
         Los Angeles, California                                90025
         (Address of Principal Executive Offices)               (Zip Code)
    

      NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT DATED MAY 19, 1997 FOR 75,000 SHARES
      NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT DATED MAY 19, 1997 FOR 100,000 SHARES
      NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT DATED MAY 19, 1997 FOR 100,000 SHARES
                               (Full title of the plan)

                                   ----------------

                              Robert F. Kautz, President
                                  Koo Koo Roo, Inc.
                         11075 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 225
                            Los Angeles, California 90025
                       (Name and address of agent for service)

                                    (310) 479-2080
                       (Telephone number of agent for service)

                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                        Proposed
                                                Proposed                 maximum                Amount of
Title of securities          Amount          maximum offering           aggregate             registration
  to be registered      to be registered    price per share(1)       offering price(1)            fee(1)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                     <C>                 <C>                      <C>                      <C>
Common Stock,               275,000              $3.719               $1,022,725.00              $309.92
$0.01 par value
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) In accordance with Rule 457(h) of Regulation C of the Securities Act of
    1933, the filing fee is calculated using the $3.719 exercise price of the
    275,000 stock options.


<PAGE>

                                        PART I

                   INFORMATION REQUIRED IN SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

ITEM 1.  PLAN INFORMATION*

ITEM 2.  REGISTRANT INFORMATION AND EMPLOYEE PLAN ANNUAL INFORMATION*

*        Information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a)
         prospectus is omitted from the Registration Statement in accordance
         with Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Note to Part I
         of Form S-8

                                       PART II

                  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The following documents filed by Koo Koo Roo, Inc. (the "Company")
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") are incorporated
by reference in this registration statement as of their respective dates:

         (1)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 1996.

         (2)  The Company's Amendment No. 1 to Form 10-K on Form 10-K/A for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 1996.

         (3)  The Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters
ended March 31, 1997 and June 30, 1997 filed pursuant to Section 13 of the
Exchange Act.

         (4)  The Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K dated February 27,
1997, March 6, 1997, April 10, 1997, May 2, 1997 and June 3, 1997.

         (5)  The Company's Proxy Statements dated March 14, 1997 and
May 20, 1997.


         In addition, each document filed by the Company pursuant to Section
13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment that indicates that all
securities offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
registration statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.

         Any statement contained herein, or any document , all or a portion of
which is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, shall be
deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of the Registration Statement
to the extent that a statement contained herein, or in any subsequently filed
document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein,
modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such statement so modified or
superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to
constitute part of this Registration Statement. 

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not Applicable.


                                          2

<PAGE>

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

              Not Applicable.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

              The Company's Certificate of Incorporation provides that a
director of the Company will not be personally liable to the Company or its
stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a
director, except in certain cases where liability is mandated by the Delaware
General Corporation Law.  This provision has no effect on any non-monetary
remedies that may be available to the Company or its stockholders, nor does it
relieve the Company or its directors from compliance with federal or state
securities laws.  The Certificate of Incorporation also provides that each
person who is or was or had agreed to become a director or officer of the
Company or of certain affiliated entities shall be indemnified by the Company,
in accordance with its Bylaws, to the fullest extent permitted from time to time
by the Delaware General Corporation Law and that the Company may enter into one
or more agreements with any person which provide that each person who was or is
made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any
action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she or a person whom he or she
is the legal representative is or was a director, officer or employee of the
Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another enterprise, including service with respect
to employee benefit plans, whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged
action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent, shall
be indemnified and held harmless by the Company to the fullest extent authorized
by the Delaware General Corporation Law.  The Bylaws also provide for
advancement of expenses.  Following any "change in control" of the Company of
the type required to be reported under Item 1 of Form 8-K promulgated under the
Exchange Act, any determination of entitlement to indemnification under the
Company's Bylaws must be made by independent legal counsel.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

              Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

    Exhibit No.         Description
    -----------         -----------

      4.1               Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 1997
                        between Koo Koo Roo, Inc. (the "Company") and Robert E.
                        Courson to purchase 75,000 shares of Common Stock

      4.2               Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 1997
                        between the Company and Robert E. Courson to purchase
                        100,000 shares of Common Stock

      4.3               Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 1997
                        between the Company and Robert E. Courson to purchase
                        100,000 shares of Common Stock

      5                 Opinion of Richman, Lawrence, Mann, Greene, Chizever, 
                        Friedman & Phillips regarding legality of securities 
                        being registered

     23.1               Consent of BDO Seidman, LLP

     23.2               Consent of Richman, Lawrence, Mann, Greene, Chizever, 
                        Friedman & Phillips (included as part of Exhibit 5)


                                          3
<PAGE>

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

    The Company hereby undertakes:

    (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
    post-effective amendment to the registration statement;

         (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
    Securities Act of 1933;

         (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
    the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent
    post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
    represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the
    registration statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
    decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of
    securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any
    deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range
    may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission
    pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and
    price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering
    price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
    effective registration statement; 

         (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of
    distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any
    material change to such information in the registration statement;

PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply if the registration
statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8 or Form F-3, and the information required to
be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Company
pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

    (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial BONA
FIDE offering thereof.  

    (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.

    (4)  That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities
Act of 1933, each filing of the Company's annual report pursuant to Section
13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where
applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to
Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by
reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration
statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial BONA FIDE offering
thereof.

    (5)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Company has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act of 1933, and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a
claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by
the Company of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Company in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Company will, unless in the
opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of


                                          4

<PAGE>

appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by its
terms is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933
and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                      SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that is has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Los Angeles, State of California, on
October 3, 1997.

                                  KOO KOO ROO, INC.


                                  By /s/ ROBERT F. KAUTZ
                                    ----------------------------------------
                                       Robert F. Kautz
                                       President and Chief Financial Officer

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.


       Signature                         Title                           Date
       ---------                         -----                           ----

/s/ KENNETH BERG
----------------------     Chairman and Chief Executive Officer         10/3/97
Kenneth Berg                 (Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ ROBERT F. KAUTZ
----------------------     President and Chief Financial Officer        10/3/97
Robert F. Kautz         (Principal  Financial Officer) and Director

/s/ JOHN S. KAUFMAN
----------------------     President of Koo Koo Roo USA and Director    10/3/97
John S. Kaufman

/s/ MICHAEL D. MOOSLIN
----------------------     President of Koo Koo Roo International       10/3/97
Michael D. Mooslin                   and Director

/s/ MARY E. ARNOLD
----------------------           Vice President Finance                 10/3/97
Mary E. Arnold               (Principal Accounting Officer)


----------------------            Treasurer and Director
Morton J. Wall

/s/ KORY L. BERG
----------------------     President of Arrosto Coffee Company          10/3/97
Kory L. Berg                         and Director

----------------------                 Director
Lee Iacocca

----------------------                 Director
Donald Wohl


----------------------                 Director
Mel Harris


<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit                                                          Sequentially
Number                             Exhibit                       Numbered Page
-------                            -------                       -------------

 4.1      Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 
          1997 between Koo Koo Roo, Inc. (the "Company") and 
          Robert E. Courson to purchase 75,000 shares of 
          Common Stock

 4.2      Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 
          1997 between the Company and Robert E. Courson to 
          purchase 100,000 shares of Common Stock

 4.3      Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 
          1997 between the Company and Robert E. Courson to 
          purchase 100,000 shares of Common Stock

 5        Opinion of Richman, Lawrence, Mann, Greene, Chizever, 
          Friedman & Phillips regarding legality of securities 
          being registered

 23.1     Consent of BDO Seidman, LLP

 23.2     Consent of Richman, Lawrence, Mann, Greene, Chizever, 
          Friedman & Phillips (included as part of Exhibit 5)



                                          7
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 17697}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "KOO KOO ROO INC/DE", "cik": "0000878901", "assigned-sic": "5812", "irs-number": "223132583", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-37181", "film-number": "97690867"}, "business-address": {"street1": "11075 SANTA MONICA BLVD STE 225", "city": "LOS ANGELES", "state": "CA", "zip": "90025", "phone": "3104792080"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "11075 SANTA MONICA BLVD", "street2": "STE 225", "city": "LOS ANGELES", "state": "CA", "zip": "90025"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 3, 1997

                                                    Registration No. 333-       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                                       FORM S-8

                                    --------------

                                REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                        UNDER 
                              THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                  KOO KOO ROO, INC.
                  (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

         DELAWARE                                          22-3132583
         (State or other jurisdiction of                   (I.R.S. Employer
         incorporation or organization)                    Identification No.)

         11075 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 225
         Los Angeles, California                                90025
         (Address of Principal Executive Offices)               (Zip Code)
    

      NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT DATED MAY 19, 1997 FOR 75,000 SHARES
      NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT DATED MAY 19, 1997 FOR 100,000 SHARES
      NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT DATED MAY 19, 1997 FOR 100,000 SHARES
                               (Full title of the plan)

                                   ----------------

                              Robert F. Kautz, President
                                  Koo Koo Roo, Inc.
                         11075 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 225
                            Los Angeles, California 90025
                       (Name and address of agent for service)

                                    (310) 479-2080
                       (Telephone number of agent for service)

                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                        Proposed
                                                Proposed                 maximum                Amount of
Title of securities          Amount          maximum offering           aggregate             registration
  to be registered      to be registered    price per share(1)       offering price(1)            fee(1)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock,               275,000              $3.719               $1,022,725.00              $309.92
$0.01 par value
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) In accordance with Rule 457(h) of Regulation C of the Securities Act of
    1933, the filing fee is calculated using the $3.719 exercise price of the
    275,000 stock options.
PART I

                   INFORMATION REQUIRED IN SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

ITEM 1.  PLAN INFORMATION*

ITEM 2.  REGISTRANT INFORMATION AND EMPLOYEE PLAN ANNUAL INFORMATION*

*        Information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a)
         prospectus is omitted from the Registration Statement in accordance
         with Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Note to Part I
         of Form S-8

                                       PART II

                  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The following documents filed by Koo Koo Roo, Inc. (the "Company")
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") are incorporated
by reference in this registration statement as of their respective dates:

         (1)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 1996.

         (2)  The Company's Amendment No. 1 to Form 10-K on Form 10-K/A for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 1996.

         (3)  The Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters
ended March 31, 1997 and June 30, 1997 filed pursuant to Section 13 of the
Exchange Act.

         (4)  The Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K dated February 27,
1997, March 6, 1997, April 10, 1997, May 2, 1997 and June 3, 1997.

         (5)  The Company's Proxy Statements dated March 14, 1997 and
May 20, 1997.

         In addition, each document filed by the Company pursuant to Section
13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment that indicates that all
securities offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
registration statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.

         Any statement contained herein, or any document , all or a portion of
which is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, shall be
deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of the Registration Statement
to the extent that a statement contained herein, or in any subsequently filed
document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein,
modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such statement so modified or
superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to
constitute part of this Registration Statement. 

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not Applicable.

                                          2
ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

              Not Applicable.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

              The Company's Certificate of Incorporation provides that a
director of the Company will not be personally liable to the Company or its
stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a
director, except in certain cases where liability is mandated by the Delaware
General Corporation Law.  This provision has no effect on any non-monetary
remedies that may be available to the Company or its stockholders, nor does it
relieve the Company or its directors from compliance with federal or state
securities laws.  The Certificate of Incorporation also provides that each
person who is or was or had agreed to become a director or officer of the
Company or of certain affiliated entities shall be indemnified by the Company,
in accordance with its Bylaws, to the fullest extent permitted from time to time
by the Delaware General Corporation Law and that the Company may enter into one
or more agreements with any person which provide that each person who was or is
made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any
action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she or a person whom he or she
is the legal representative is or was a director, officer or employee of the
Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another enterprise, including service with respect
to employee benefit plans, whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged
action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent, shall
be indemnified and held harmless by the Company to the fullest extent authorized
by the Delaware General Corporation Law.  The Bylaws also provide for
advancement of expenses.  Following any "change in control" of the Company of
the type required to be reported under Item 1 of Form 8-K promulgated under the
Exchange Act, any determination of entitlement to indemnification under the
Company's Bylaws must be made by independent legal counsel.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

              Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

    Exhibit No.         Description
    -----------         -----------

      4.1               Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 1997
                        between Koo Koo Roo, Inc. (the "Company") and Robert E.
                        Courson to purchase 75,000 shares of Common Stock

      4.2               Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 1997
                        between the Company and Robert E. Courson to purchase
                        100,000 shares of Common Stock

      4.3               Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 1997
                        between the Company and Robert E. Courson to purchase
                        100,000 shares of Common Stock

      5                 Opinion of Richman, Lawrence, Mann, Greene, Chizever, 
                        Friedman & Phillips regarding legality of securities 
                        being registered

     23.1               Consent of BDO Seidman, LLP

     23.2               Consent of Richman, Lawrence, Mann, Greene, Chizever, 
                        Friedman & Phillips (included as part of Exhibit 5)

                                          3
ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

    The Company hereby undertakes:

    (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
    post-effective amendment to the registration statement;

         (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
    Securities Act of 1933;

         (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
    the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent
    post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
    represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the
    registration statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
    decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of
    securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any
    deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range
    may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission
    pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and
    price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering
    price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
    effective registration statement; 

         (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of
    distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any
    material change to such information in the registration statement;

PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply if the registration
statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8 or Form F-3, and the information required to
be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Company
pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

    (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial BONA
FIDE offering thereof.  

    (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.

    (4)  That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities
Act of 1933, each filing of the Company's annual report pursuant to Section
13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where
applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to
Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by
reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration
statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial BONA FIDE offering
thereof.

    (5)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Company has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act of 1933, and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a
claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by
the Company of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Company in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Company will, unless in the
opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of

                                          4
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by its
terms is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933
and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                      SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that is has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Los Angeles, State of California, on
October 3, 1997.

                                  KOO KOO ROO, INC.

                                  By /s/ ROBERT F. KAUTZ
                                    ----------------------------------------
                                       Robert F. Kautz
                                       President and Chief Financial Officer

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.

       Signature                         Title                           Date
       ---------                         -----                           ----

/s/ KENNETH BERG
----------------------     Chairman and Chief Executive Officer         10/3/97
Kenneth Berg                 (Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ ROBERT F. KAUTZ
----------------------     President and Chief Financial Officer        10/3/97
Robert F. Kautz         (Principal  Financial Officer) and Director

/s/ JOHN S. KAUFMAN
----------------------     President of Koo Koo Roo USA and Director    10/3/97
John S. Kaufman

/s/ MICHAEL D. MOOSLIN
----------------------     President of Koo Koo Roo International       10/3/97
Michael D. Mooslin                   and Director

/s/ MARY E. ARNOLD
----------------------           Vice President Finance                 10/3/97
Mary E. Arnold               (Principal Accounting Officer)

----------------------            Treasurer and Director
Morton J. Wall

/s/ KORY L. BERG
----------------------     President of Arrosto Coffee Company          10/3/97
Kory L. Berg                         and Director

----------------------                 Director
Lee Iacocca

----------------------                 Director
Donald Wohl

----------------------                 Director
Mel Harris
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit                                                          Sequentially
Number                             Exhibit                       Numbered Page
-------                            -------                       -------------

 4.1      Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 
          1997 between Koo Koo Roo, Inc. (the "Company") and 
          Robert E. Courson to purchase 75,000 shares of 
          Common Stock

 4.2      Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 
          1997 between the Company and Robert E. Courson to 
          purchase 100,000 shares of Common Stock

 4.3      Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated May 19, 
          1997 between the Company and Robert E. Courson to 
          purchase 100,000 shares of Common Stock

 5        Opinion of Richman, Lawrence, Mann, Greene, Chizever, 
          Friedman & Phillips regarding legality of securities 
          being registered

 23.1     Consent of BDO Seidman, LLP

 23.2     Consent of Richman, Lawrence, Mann, Greene, Chizever, 
          Friedman & Phillips (included as part of Exhibit 5)

                                          7