Celebrity’s Fast-Food Chain Closes All LA Locations Amid Industry Shifts

Clear Facts

• Kevin Hart’s vegan fast-food chain, Hart House, has closed all its locations in the Los Angeles area.
• The closures were announced via an Instagram post, thanking the team, guests, and community.
• CEO Andy Hooper confirmed the closures but did not provide a specific reason for the abrupt shutdown.

Kevin Hart’s ambitious venture into the plant-based fast-food industry has come to an unexpected halt. Hart House, the vegan fast-food chain owned by the renowned comedian, has shuttered all its locations in the Los Angeles area just two years after its grand opening.

The announcement came through an Instagram post from Hart House, stating, “A Hartfelt goodbye for now as we start a new chapter.”

“Thank you,” the post continued, “To our team, guests, and community, who helped make the change we all craved.”

The Los Angeles dining guide confirmed the closures with a statement from Hart House’s CEO, Andy Hooper.

“The response to the product has been incredible, and we thank our committed team, our customers, and our community partners for helping make the change we all craved, and for their unwavering support of Hart House,” Hooper told the outlet.

However, the CEO did not elaborate on why the fast-food joints closed so suddenly. All four locations were shut down on September 10.

Kevin Hart had announced plans to open the plant-based eateries in 2020 after adopting a vegan lifestyle. Two years later, Hart House opened with the aim to “give people a plant-based option” in the fast-food market, which Hart felt was lacking in vegan choices.

“If I can give people a place to have the option that’s placed smack dab in the middle of where your McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Burger King [are], people may see a Hart House and say, ‘I’m going to go plant-based today,’” Hart had said at the time.

The menu featured “100%” plant-based items, including burgers, “chicken” sandwiches and nuggets, salads, tater tots, and milkshakes.

In 2023, after opening their fourth location, Hooper said, “Opening on the corner of Sunset and Highland, across the street from Hollywood High School, adjacent to a Chick-fil-A, a couple 100 yards from an In-N-Out, [and inside] a former McDonald’s building is about as emblematic as you can get of our aspiration to be the future of quick-service restaurants.”

The closures of Hart House are part of a broader trend affecting restaurants in Los Angeles. Just last month, the popular burger joint “Shake Shack” announced it would close five Southern California locations by the end of September.

These announcements come in the wake of California’s new legislation to raise the minimum wage to $20, a factor that could be influencing these business decisions.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Source