Photo courtesy of Hart House
According to the USDA, Americans eat 50 billion hamburgers a year. The comedian, actor and now restaurateur enjoys a healthier flexitarian diet. Realizing that there were no plant-based fast food options in Southern California, he connected with a team of experts to create a fast-casual concept offering burgers, sandwiches, fries, tater tots all, healthier sodas and smoothies.
Hart House is not only a nod to Kevin’s last name, but also to maintaining a healthier heart. The logo is a heart shape with the letter ‘H’ on the side. Their goal is to help change the overall well-being of people and our planet, with a mission to bring “plant-based to people.”
After opening their first Hart House in Westchester near LAX in 2022, the team opened in the city of Monrovia. Now they have just opened a third location in the epicenter of Hollywood, on Sunset Blvd. and Highland Ave. Not only is it across the street from the iconic Hollywood High School, but it’s also across the street from a Chick-fil-A. This location even has a drive-thru service to order and pick up healthier food on the go.
According to a recent study, if diners in the Los Angeles metropolitan area ate one plant-based alternative burger per week, the greenhouse gases saved would equal 3 billion miles driven in a car and up to 7.5 billion passenger miles on an airplane. These numbers illustrate how big of an impact a seemingly small choice, like a meal, can have.
Jill Weinlein
Recently, on Earth Day, Hart House presented an Inner City Arts community program to educate the greater Los Angeles area about the potential benefits a plant-based diet can have on the earth. Three graduates of Inner City Art’s Work of Art college prep program created digital art that was printed on canvas and is now displayed at Hart House locations.
Jill Weinlein
Diners at Hart House will notice lively music playing in the background. There’s a QR code near the organic soda dispenser so diners can download and get Kevin Hart’s Spotify playlist on their personal phone.
Summer Lovin’ Special – Photo by Jill Weinlein
According to Marcus Byrd, Hart House director of brand and marketing, there are two different plant-based potatoes in Hart House sandwiches. “It’s not Beyond Meat or Impossible, but new cakes made in Canada and Brazil.”
One of the most requested items is the Double Burg’r made with two delicious plant-based burgers, crispy lettuce, sliced tomato, grilled onions and a Hart House Signature Sauce on the bun.
During the summer season, ‘Summer Lovin’ is a special combination that includes a barbecue sandwich, crunchy nuggets and lemonade.
Popular sides include fries, tater tots, or a small kale salad. “When guests want a combination of fries and all, they can order ‘Frots’ with one of our special sauces,” Byrd said.
In addition to organic juice drinks and organic sodas, Hart House makes dairy-free smoothies. “The Oreo milkshake is our most popular,” Byrd said.
Opening of Hart House in Hollywood
To celebrate the opening of the third Hart House location on May 23, 2023, Kevin Hart and his team partnered with the Assistance League of Los Angeles and donated 10% of all profits on the day of openness to this worthy community partner.
When they learned that one in four children in Los Angeles lives below the poverty line, they adopted this worthy organization to help make a difference.
The Assistance League of Los Angeles works to make a positive impact on the lives of LA’s youth by providing basic services and offering enriching community programs. Their mission is to uplift children and help them reach their full potential as they grow into adults.
Hart House aims to change the way people eat, giving them choices to help promote a positive and healthy impact on themselves, their community and the world.