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Plant-based Instagram superstar Tabitha Brown is opening her first restaurant in Encino. The venture is a partnership with the Chicago-based restaurant and bar called Kale My Name, which opened in April 2020; Brown announced the news via YouTube but did not share an opening date.
Eater reached out to Kale My Name’s owner Nemanja Nekac Golubovic, who confirmed the news. The partners aren’t releasing many details yet for Kale My Name’s LA outlet, other than it will be housed in a strip mall at 18000 Ventura Boulevard near White Oak Avenue. Brown, already a prolific internet presence in the vegan/plant-based space, teamed up with Golubovic for the announcement by way of a YouTube video that has already racked up over 141,045 views. The partners even previewed some Kale My Name dishes at the Vegandale festival last weekend.
In addition to being hugely popular on social media, Brown is an actor and author whose book recently reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list. When filming the Showtime series The Chi in Chicago earlier this year, Brown became a regular at Kale My Name in Albany Park, sparking a relationship with Golubovic (who already knew about Brown’s work), culminating in the pair’s new partnership in Los Angeles, where Brown resides.
Initially Brown became a vegan to help with a chronic health condition, and in 2017 she began speaking publicly about her vegan food journey. A few viral videos later and Brown now has 4.9 million followers on TikTok, 3.9 million followers on Instagram, and has even secured her own online show on the Ellen DeGeneres site.
While details on the upcoming restaurant’s food, look, and firm opening date are still scarce, Kale My Name’s menu in Chicago could offer a possible peek at the menu. That restaurant offers everything from salads and jackfruit and Beyond Meat tacos to vegan cheesecake, fried mac and cheese balls, and even a few Balkan dishes.
