Kevin Hart to Open His First Plant-Based Restaurant with Goals for National Expansion

Kevin Hart is joining the plant-based food craze. 

The actor and comedian is gearing up to open the first location of his entirely plant-based restaurant, Hart House, in Los Angeles, reported Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN). The concept will serve items such as burg'rs, chick'n sandwiches, salads, tenders, fries and milkshakes that are made without antibiotics, hormones, artificial colors, preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup.

Hart House already has several locations already in the works in Southern California, with national expansion planned in the coming years. It joins a growing market of plant-based restaurants looking to scale and franchise business.

The plant-based category is booming and could even make up to 7.7% of the global protein market by 2030, with a value of over $162 billion, up from $29.4 billion in 2020, according to a new report by Bloomberg Intelligence. However, the vegan quick-service segment is still relatively niche. 

"Vegans, vegetarians, plant-based eaters and people who just want to add more veggies in their diet want to feel heard. The plant-based voice is spreading fast. However, plant-based restaurants can still be found few and far between,” Emily Hersh, head chef at Pure Grit BBQ, a plant-based fast-casual restaurant in New York, told 1851.

According to Andy Hooper, CEO and founding partner of Hart House, the movement has struggled to take off because consumer habits are simply hard to break. He believes the key to doing so is serving food that not only tastes good but appeals to both vegans and carnivores.

Hersh added that “adding plant-based options to omnivorous menus, enhancing their descriptions, and putting more time into the recipe development and marketing” are ways to enable growth in the market. 

“These plant-based options also need to be intriguing,” she said. “In order for people to come to a plant-based restaurant, we need to make the items plentiful, creative and inviting. If you care about an item, if you are excited about an item, the customer will be too."

Hooper also noted that price is another important factor in pushing the market forward. He said that Hart wanted the concept to offer healthier, plant-based items that are more affordable and accessible to everyday consumers. Eventually, Hart House aims to be up there with huge foodservice such as McDonald’s.

“If you fast forward 10 years, I am convinced that a huge percentage of what people eat will be plant-based, not out of virtue, but out of necessity, out of supply chain, certainly out of health and wellness,” he told NRN.  

Hooper may not be far off. Bloomberg’s Plant-Based Foods Poised for Explosive Growth identifies that demand for global animal and dairy protein is poised to reach $1.2 trillion by 2030. 

“Food-related consumer habits often come and go as fads, but plant-based alternatives are here to stay – and grow. The expanding set of product options in the plant-based industry is contributing to plant alternatives becoming a long-term option for consumers around the world,” wrote Jennifer Bartashus, senior consumer staples analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. 

She added that if sales and penetration for meat and dairy alternatives continue to grow, Bloomberg’s scenario analysis suggests that the plant-based food industry has the potential to become ingrained as a viable option in supermarkets and restaurants alike. This provides a huge opportunity for plant-based chains and franchises like Hart House.