'That hasn't existed': Kevin Hart details new plant-based restaurant to take on McDonald's, Burger King
Kevin Hart is introducing a new, plant-based alternative to fast food that hawks red meat and grease on the cheap. This week, the actor and comedian opened his first Hart House in California, offering a menu of plant-based chicken and burgers.
"This world is a very big place," Hart said on Yahoo Finance Presents (video above). "It doesn't just have to be one, there could be many — the variety of options is what people love the most."
Hart House, which is a four-minute or so walk from the iconic In-N-Out Burger, took several years to develop, according to Hart. Additionally on the menu are tots, fries, a limeade and a milk-shake comprised of a soy and oat blend.
"I'm just excited for people to be able to drive by a sign and they can say, 'Oh, wait, that's a plant based option. Let's go here.' That hasn't existed," Hart said. "So for me to be right in the middle of your McDonald's, your Chick-Fil-As, your Burger Kings, your Wendy's, and now have Hart Houses in there as well. That's a dream come true. That's what I'm working towards."
The restaurant's layout and color scheme resembles Shake Shack (fast casual) and Beyond Meat (plant-based) if the two joined forces and open a plant-based food restaurant.
In order to bring the restaurant to life, Hart signed up some big names in their respective fields, including bitcoin evangelist in Galaxy Digital's Mike Novagratz and long-time friend and billionaire Fanatics founder Michael Rubin.
As for the menu, Hart tapped chef Mike Salem to develop the offerings, keeping them in the $5 to $7 range. Salem is the former head of culinary innovation at Restaurant Brands-owned Burger King, and helped launch the plant-based Impossible Whopper.
Hart says he's already begun eyeing additional locations for Hart House.
"We're already tapping into locations that make sense," Hart said. "So Las Vegas, we are talking about Atlanta, Philadelphia, Florida and San Diego. "These are the places that really attracted us, and that are most intriguing to us for business reasons and research-wise — we have seen a spike in plant-based food numbers in general."
When asked if he plans to tap his friend and fellow movie star The Rock to be a franchisee of Hart House, Hart had one answer.
"He's a guy that is not just a one layered eater — he is a multi-layered eater," Hart said. "He is not against plant-based. He is not against meat. But he is a guy that takes care of himself and eats clean. So him as a partner, of course it would be a no brainer."
Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.
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