Los Angeles, CA (12/5/19): Celebrity Chef and Wellness Entrepreneur, Matthew Kenney, is
adding a notable location to his list of plant-based dining concepts. Later this month, Matthew
Kenney Cuisine, in partnership with Youri Benoiston, Lamia Funti, and Marcus Andrews, will
open Casa Planta, a farm-to-table restaurant creating unique takes on local cuisine, located in
the new IGLOO Beach Lodge hotel in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. The restaurant will be
situated within walking distance to the area’s national park and just steps from the pristine
beachfront.
The partnership will launch at the tail end of an expansive year for Matthew Kenney Cuisine
(Kenney’s restaurant group). Adding to the recent opening of the incredibly successful Plant City
in Providence, RI, MKC is set to open Hungry Angelina, a casual dining option in California and
New York this year, as well as an Italian concept in San Francisco, and a raw-vegan restaurant
on the top floor of the ALO Yoga flagship store in NYC–just to name a few.
Casa Planta will add to MKC’s international profile, which currently includes restaurants in
Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, and Australia, and will be the first of several projects to launch in
Costa Rica in the coming months. With Casa Planta, Kenney will combine his extensive
experience in hospitality and plant-based cuisine with his passion for the rich variety and unique
flavors of Costa Rica using locally-sourced ingredients.
Sustainability is at the core of Casa Planta’s mission. Kenney intends to practice sustainable
ideals, put a high value on overall wellness, and a focus on energy conservation, locally grown
foods, and a connection to nature. The priority is to create a delicious, health-conscious way of
life through a plant-based practice.
Costa Rica is taking the lead on environmental and sustainable practices and is set to become
the first Carbon neutral free country by 2021.
“Opening my first restaurant in Costa Rica with my friend Youri brings me home. I grew up in
Maine, where I was surrounded by wildlife and developed a deep love of and connection to
nature. Costa Rica is abundant with fresh aromatic fruits and vegetables year-round, and aligns
perfectly with my roots and values.”
The mission is to create a delicious, health-conscious way of life through a plant-based practice.
Costa Rica is taking the lead on environmental and sustainable practices and is set to become
the first Carbon neutral free country by 2021. The goal is to produce a better quality of life for
everyone who steps foot in the space and create an all-encompassing effort to create a whole
and “pure life”.
IGLOO Beach Lodge, also set to open in November, is a provider of luxury, eco-tourism
accommodations and out of the ordinary travel experiences. The property exists to meet the
ever-increasing demand for out of the ordinary travel experiences and the growing desire for
sustainable tourism in one of the world’s most breathtaking locations.
ABOUT MATTHEW KENNEY:
Matthew Kenney graduated from the French Culinary Institute and, after working in upscale
New York City kitchens, opened a number of his own highly regarded restaurants in New York
and along the East Coast. He has earned several awards, including being named one of
America’s Best New Chefs by Food and Wine Magazine and was twice nominated as a Rising
Star Chef in America by the James Beard Foundation. Kenney has appeared on numerous food
and talk shows and regularly lectures on the subject of food and health, including a highly
watched TEDx talk in 2011. Matthew Kenney Cuisine has expanded with a presence across
several major U.S. and International cities, as Kenney continues his mission of crafting the
future of food.
Read more about Casa Planta and Matthew Kenney:
https://www.matthewkenneycuisine.com/
https://www.matthewkenneycuisine.com/hospitality
https://www.matthewkenneycuisine.com/matthew-kenney
https://www.instagram.com/matthewkenneycuisine/
https://youribenoiston.wixsite.com/igloo
https://www.instagram.com/casa.planta_/?hl=en
