Nearly four million people watched Lizzo review Mr.Charlie’s Frowny Meal on TikTok. Fans responded in big numbers, posting videos about the La Brea Avenue restaurant that offers plant-based versions of well-known fast foods and helps the community in the process.

"LA Times Today" caught up with the owner and staff of Mr.Charlie’s.

What You Need To Know

  • Mr.Charlie’s is a vegan fast-food restaurant in Los Angeles

  • It has been dubbed the “vegan McDonald’s” on social media

  • Millions of people have viewed reviews of the restaurant on TikTok

  • Mr.Charlie’s is located at 612 N La Brea Ave in Los Angeles

Owner Charlie Kim opened Mr.Charlie’s on Valentine’s Day of this year. Customers come in for the atmosphere, the packaging, and, of course, the food.

Their main attraction is the Unhappy Meal, or “frowny meal.” The meal consists of a vegan burger with the option of vegan cheese, four soybean nuggets and a bottled beverage.

“Growing up, I ate a lot of fast food. I grew up in Canada. I played hockey. I’m a big dude,” Kim said. “Since I got married and I have a kid, I’m trying to be healthier. My previous restaurant, it’s more of a Korean concept, but I wanted something plant based with healthy options.”

Social media has driven much of Mr.Charlie’s success. Kim said videos from people like Lizzo have inspired customers to visit the restaurant.

“We haven’t even had a grand opening yet. It’s just so much traffic and people that come in and a positive feedback and the energy that we see. And it’s just crazy to see, firsthand, something from the beginning just grow and be all over social media. It can be overwhelming. But it’s beautiful. I love it,” said Andrew Powell, an assistant manager at Mr.Charlie’s.

Kim said he wanted Mr.Charlie’s to support the community in addition to serving food. He partnered with the Dream Center to fill staff and managerial positions.

Seven people from the Dream Center are currently working at Mr.Charlie’s. One of those employees, Susanna Ramos, is a store manager.

“When I initially started working here, I was still living in the Dream Center,” Ramos shared. “I moved here from Arizona about nine months ago with my two children. We were homeless. Since I started here, I have gotten my own apartment. I am the store manager here and I have just been blessed.”

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As many establishments struggle with a staff shortage, Mr.Charlie’s has attracted a flood of prospective employees.

“A lot of people want to work with us. They send me DMs, emails, they just walk in here. So we don’t have a staff shortage here,” Kim said. “We’re overwhelmed with the staff. We’re trying to figure it out. The store is small. We have a limited capacity. I’m hoping more and more and more stores around here, all around, nationwide, they need to think about what they can do to bring back the community. Not only bring the cash in, but you need to bring people together. I think that’s the whole point of us working with the Dream Center. We want to go nationwide. And we want to help all the neighborhoods, all Americans, who were struggling during COVID to get help. We can support them through this healthy option and program.”

Mr.Charlie’s is open every day. You can order online here.

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