COSTA MESA, CA (3/15/21) – Matthew Kenney Cuisine, the plant-based lifestyle brand founded by celebrity chef, author, and wellness entrepreneur Matthew Kenney, is launching VEG’D, a first-of-it’s kind drive-through, fast-food concept in partnership with Christine Mulholland, landing in Costa Mesa, CA this Spring. Plant-based cuisine is now the mainstream, with close to ten million Americans eating this way, and consumers are ready and waiting for an option that is both convenient and health-conscious, and that can meet their dietary needs while still being an absolute pleasure to consume, and kind to the environment. It’s a challenge that the team at MKC was built for.
VEG’D is a new kind of drive-through that’s chef and mission-driven and 100-percent plant-based. The idea for a fast-food drive-through came to SoCal native and plant-based entrepreneur, Christine Mulholland, several years ago, and it seemed like an impossibility at the time. Years later, watching the tides change and the market demand grow, she decided to reach out to Chef Kenney on a lark and pitched him the idea. He loved it.
Mulholland and Kenney will breathe new life into a former Del Taco location in Costa Mesa offering chef-crafted fast food with a menu of plant-forward clean eats ranging from veggie burgers to salads and bowls – perfect for those who are health-conscious and on-the-go or who just want an alternative to the typical fast food meals. All of this makes VEG’D poised for success in the California market and beyond. The concept plans to expand in the months ahead. Sustainability is at the core of what VEG’D stands for. MKC has always been a brand that prides itself on creating food that is nourishing for people and the planet, and gives back to mother Earth. All packaging is made from 100% recycled materials and/or is biodegradable and compostable. Additionally, the location will compost or donate all food waste. In fact, one of the highlights is the Forest Smoothie, for which proceeds go to plant a tree.
“We are so excited to be bringing this fresh, mindful new concept to the fast food market, an industry saturated by long-standing giants that have failed to consider the health of their consumers and our planet ”, says Mulholland. It’s hard to believe that VEG’D is a former Del Taco, given it’s effortlessly chic and contemporary makeover. The team at MKC and Mulholland created an airy, open, minimalist space with touches of casual sophistication, Neutral, earth tones and black and white are dominant throughout, with pops of seafoam, creating what feels like fast-food with class. It’s a lovely place to sit down and relax, should you choose to skip the drive-through line.
The menu itself is much more health-conscious than what you may have seen at other vegan fast food joints. It is completely non-GMO and organic, utilizing nourishing, whole foods made in-house, minimally processed, without any preservatives or artificial ingredients. VEG’D serves delicious, vibrant, flavorful, and nutritious foods – fast.
Being an MKC brand, purity and quality of ingredients is of the utmost importance and everything is made by hand, from scratch, every day. In addition to classics like burgers, the menu will feature a selection of fruit and vegetable focused dishes, bowls, salads, wraps, and desserts crafted without refined sugar. There are plenty of options, so if you’re in the mood for a raw-vegan meal or your favorite comfort-classics, you’re covered. Below is a sampling of what you can expect:
● VEG’D BURGER. Cheddar. Lettuce. Tomato. Onion, Pickles and VEG’D sauce
● PLANT BOWL. Grilled Veggies. Avocado. Toasted Almonds and Catalina Dressing
● PROTEIN FOR PROS SMOOTHIE. Almond Milk. Almond Butter. Dates. Bananas. Hemp Protein. Cocoa Nibs
● BREAKFAST BURRITO. Just Egg. Jack Cheese. Green Chillies. Avocado. Tater Tots. Green Chili Salsa
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to expand into the drive-through market, it’s been a dream of mine,” says Kenney. “The Costa Mesa and Orange County community is the perfect place for us to begin our journey of spreading plant-based cuisine to the masses, on a grander scale than we have been able to with our sit-down dining options We couldn’t be more excited to enter this market at this exact time.”
The launch of VEG’D is just one of many MKC projects arriving this year, with the upcoming opening of Hungry Angelina in Brooklyn, the third location of SESTINA in Philadelphia, and a yet unnamed project at 1245 Broadway in New York, all set to launch in the coming months. The MKC team also has plans to open a restaurant at the One & Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico, a wellness-inspired concept, AYRE at the luxurious Amrit Resort in Palm Beach, Florida, along with several product lines and restaurants openings nationwide. On an international scale, MKC plans to build on current partnerships with hotel partners across the globe, and looks forward to launching new concepts in London and other parts of Europe, in addition to expansions planned in Australia, South America, and beyond.
280 Bristol St. Costa Mesa, CA
About Matthew Kenney
Matthew Kenney is one of the world’s first leading chefs at the forefront of plant based cuisine, an author of 12 cookbooks and a best-selling memoir, a culinary educator and CEO of Matthew Kenney Cuisine, a multifaceted lifestyle company specializing in plant-based cuisine throughout several unique markets. 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 two highly-watched TEDx talks.
