Why Kevin Hart's vegan restaurant closed abruptly
Hart House, a vegan fast-food chain owned by comedian and actor Kevin Hart, has abruptly shut down all its locations just two years after its launch. The four outlets in the Los Angeles area were closed without prior notice on Tuesday, confirmed Hart House CEO Andy Hooper. However, he did not provide a reason for the sudden closures. But we look into some probable causes.
'Hartfelt goodbye for now as we start a new chapter'
On Wednesday, Hart House announced the closure of all its restaurants through an Instagram post. "A Hartfelt goodbye for now as we start a new chapter," the post read. "Thank you. To our team, guests, and community, who helped make the change we all craved." The post was sudden and out of the blue as regular updates had been coming on the chain's Instagram account. The last activity on the brand's Twitter handle was in March though.
Hart House aimed to create 'good experience' with plant-based food
Hart House was established in collaboration with Hooper in 2022, after Hart switched to a primarily plant-based diet. The fast-food chain offered vegan burgers, "chicken" sandwiches and nuggets, fries, tots, salads, and milkshakes. Its mission was to "create a good experience that combines the joy of coming together over food, with the power of purpose," as stated on the company's website.
Hart House's closure follows Shake Shack's shutdown in LA
Hart House's closure comes on the heels of another high-profile restaurant shutdown in Los Angeles: the popular burger chain Shake Shack. The East Coast burger chain had announced in August that it would close five Southern California locations by the end of September. These closures follow California's new $20 minimum wage increase, which was enacted five months ago.
Fast-food restaurants in California cut jobs amid wage hike
Since the implementation of the new minimum wage, fast-food restaurants in California have cut nearly 10,000 jobs as they struggle to balance labor costs and price increases. Major chains like McDonald's, Burger King, and In-N-Out Burger have raised their prices to compensate for the higher wages. Meanwhile, the California Fast Food Workers Union is demanding a further wage increase to $20.7 per hour by 2025.
