Actor and comedian Kevin Hart’s venture into fast food has been cut short with the closure of his plant-based restaurant chain Hart House just two years after it began.
The first location in the vegan fast-casual venture opened near Los Angeles International Airport in August 2022. The idea for the restaurants came about after Hart publicly shared he had switched to a plant-based diet in 2020.
“I founded Hart House to create a good experience that combines the joy of coming together over food with the power of purpose,” Hart wrote on the company’s website.
The chain’s second location opened a few months after the first in Monrovia, followed by its flagship drive-through at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue and a fourth restaurant in University Park.
The menu featured entirely plant-based “chick’n” sandwiches and “burg’rs” and soy and oat milkshakes, along with fries, nuggets and sauces.
The four locations abruptly closed Sept. 10. The reason remains unclear.
“To our team, guests and community, who helped make the change we all craved, a Hartfelt goodbye for now,” said a post on the company’s Instagram page.
Hart House Chief Executive Andy Hooper did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hart, a headliner comedian and potent box office draw, has not publicly commented on the closures or offered details on next steps.
Hart’s vegan concept is not the first to falter amid harsh economic conditions. East Coast burger chain Shake Shack recently closed five Los Angeles locations due to underperformance.
High inflation rates have prompted many consumers to cut back on discretionary spending such as dining out, experts say, while restaurants also face thin margins and high labor costs.
Hart House’s flagship restaurant was meant to be a model for future locations, Eater Los Angeles reported, and was situated in Hollywood in a former McDonald’s building near a Chick-fil-A and an In-N-Out Burger.
Hart said at the time the restaurants launched that he aimed to create a healthy and affordable option within the Los Angeles fast-food scene. Although there were other plant-based fast-casual competitors, he said Hart House had a lower price point for high-quality food.
Along with Hooper, Hart teamed up with investor Michael Rubin and chef Mike Salem to open his line of vegan burger joints. Salem was previously the head of culinary innovation at Burger King, where he helped launch the Impossible Whopper.
On Friday, Hart House’s website was still up and made no reference to its demise. “Hart House is committed to the future of food and our overall well-being,” it said. “Unlike typical fast food, our ingredients are plant-based and real.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.