Movie Star's Restaurant Chain Abruptly Shuts Down: Reports

LOS ANGELES, CA — Hart House, comedian Kevin Hart's vegan fast food restaurant, suddenly closed its four locations this week, according to reports.

The closure of the four Southern California restaurants comes just two years after the first Hart House opened near LAX. Locations later opened in Monrovia and near USC, before a flagship at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue opened last year.

Hart House CEO Andy Hooper confirmed the restaurants' closure in a statement to Eater.

“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 wrote.

Hart teamed up with Hooper, the former president of &pizza, to create the brand after the comedian adopted a mostly plant-based diet. The chain's concept was to sell plant-based chicken sandwiches, nuggets and burgers for under $8 and combo meals for under $15. The meat alternatives were developed in house, instead of using widely available products like Beyond, Eater reported.

Earlier this year, the chain was working on plans to expand beyond SoCal to Atlanta and Washington, D.C. In February, Hooper told Nation's Restaurant News that sales were up 350 percent in 2023 after the opening of the Hollywood and University Park locations, according to the publication.

The company posted a "thank you" message on Instagram on Wednesday: "To our team, guests, and community, who helped make the change we all craved. A Hartfelt goodbye for now as we start a new chapter."

Hart House attracted a large pool of applicants thanks to its pay and benefits: The company covered up to 70 percent of medical premiums and offered health savings accounts with 50 percent employer match and a range of bonuses, QSR Magazine reported.

Hart House's closure comes as another fast food chain, Shake Shack, announced plans last month to close six locations in California. Among the reasons cited for the closures were poor financial performance.