This is no laughing matter. In fact, it’s more like a culinary matter: Comedian Kevin Hart’s new business venture is trying to make inroads in the San Gabriel Valley, and on Friday night, March 24, it was literally on the road.
In its second such rendezvous in the San Gabriel Valley, Hart House’s food truck parked on Azusa Pacific University’s west campus Friday, March 24, in Azusa to serve up its specialty for the university’s 2023 homecoming festivities: plant-based foods.
It was an effort to further gain a foothold in the 626, after Hart’s business storefront eatery opened in Monrovia late last year, to the delight of customers eager for more plant-based options. The first Hart House, in Westchester, opened in August.
The business showed further support as lead sponsor for the event, which included a block party followed by a concert on Friday night.
This, of course, was amid all the flavor of the college’s homecoming weekend, which includes a concert— “A Night of Worship,” with Mosaic MSC from Los Angeles and ONE&ALL from San Dimas — APU baseball, softball and tennis games and tailgates, breakfast with APU’s President Adam J. Morris, a “Support Local” Market on Cougar Walk, alumni class reunions, the Pacific Islanders Organization’s Lū’au, to list a few.
Morris said that the homecoming event is a meaningful moment for APU students, families, alum, staff and faculty to ring in the new semester.
And food – yes, even healthier food – is a vital part of the event.
“I think increasingly, we have students who have different dietary requirements,” Morris said. “It seems more so than in years and years past. I’ve been in higher ed for 30 years and we’re working very hard to meet the nutritional needs of our students.”
“We’re really excited about this partnership,” he added, referring to Hart House being in as sponsor.
Aaliyah Lambert, marketing associate at Hart House, explained that the food truck — which made its San Gabriel Valley debut in Old Town Monrovia earlier this month — is a call back to before there ever was a Hart House storefront.
She said that the truck allowed the business to break into the market and introduce plant forward cuisine to spaces that otherwise might not have access to the option.
So even with the permanent locations, Hart House values the reach street service can have.
“You can’t be ‘plant based for people,’ if you don’t know what they’re doing, what they’re going through, and you know, what’s happening in their lives,” said Lambert. “So a huge part of it is — ‘how can we help uplift and support the communities we’re coming into?”
“We want to be good neighbors,” she added.
Hart House’s menu features an entirely plant-based, fast-food-style cuisine with the promise of zero cholesterol, antibiotics, hormones, artificial colors, preservatives, corn syrup or trans fats.
The popularity for plant-based options is increasing, especially among folks who want to maintain lower serum cholesterol and lower blood pressure to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Additionally, the global production of meat has large environmental impacts – increasing greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural land and freshwater use.
“Some people are shocked because they’re finding out that they’re eating plant-based food and they realize that plant-based food can have this ‘can’t believe it’ flavor,” Lambert said.
A third Hart House is set to open in Hollywood.
