Actor and comedian Kevin Hart’s venture into the fast-food industry has hit a major roadblock.

Hart’s plant-based fast-food chain, Hart House, abruptly closed all four of its locations in California this week without providing a detailed public explanation.

The sudden closures come as California’s new minimum wage law for fast-food workers and the niche nature of the vegan fast-food market appear to have created substantial business challenges.

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Hart House, which specialized in plant-based vegan food, announced the closures on Tuesday.

The company shared the news in a brief Instagram post featuring a picture of its veggie burgers and a play on words. “To our team, guests, and community, who helped make the change we all craved,” the post stated. “A Hartfelt goodbye for now as we start a new chapter.”

 

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While the exact reason for the closures remains unclear, many believe that California’s recent minimum wage hike to $20 an hour for fast-food employees played a significant role.

The wage increase, which went into effect in April 2024, has put pressure on even large fast-food chains, including McDonald’s, Arby’s, and Subway.

For a niche business like Hart House, which already operates in a highly competitive and specialized market, the added labor costs may have been a key factor in its downfall.

Hart House’s focus on vegan fast food likely limited its customer base, making it more vulnerable to the rising operational costs plaguing the restaurant industry, particularly in California.

Eater LA, a publication that covers the dining industry, reported the closures on Tuesday and attributed the challenges faced by Los Angeles restaurants to a combination of factors, including the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing operational costs, and a struggling local film and television industry.

However, the report also noted that despite the closures, California is seeing a boost in fast-food jobs overall, even after the wage increase.

This claim is based on data from the California Bureau of Labor Statistics and was highlighted by Governor Gavin Newsom in an August press release. Still, not everyone agrees with the optimistic assessment of California’s fast-food job market.

According to Rebecca Paxton, director of research at the Employment Policies Institute, California’s fast-food job numbers may not tell the whole story.

In an interview with KTLA-TV, Paxton explained that the state’s data is flawed because it relies on seasonally adjusted numbers rather than raw data.

When seasonally adjusted, the figures show that fast-food jobs in California are actually down by about 3,000. “One thing that is not included in either of these data sets is a net change,” Paxton said. “So, it’s not measuring the number of folks who have lost their jobs, gained their jobs, or turnover… They’re still employed, but their hours have been reduced.”

For the employees at Hart House, however, their hours have been reduced to zero.

The closures leave many workers out of a job, and while the company offered a “Hartfelt goodbye,” there is no indication of when or if Hart House will reopen its doors.

Hart House launched with much fanfare, aiming to offer a plant-based alternative in the fast-food sector, but it appears the combination of California’s labor laws and the challenges of running a niche food business may have led to its downfall.

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