LA-founded vegan fast food chain Mr. Charlie's eyes national expansion

Mr. Charlie's opened its first Los Angeles location in 2022 and quickly became a social media sensation. The branding resembles McDonald's with red-and-yellow colors, but the yellow elements are an upside-down frown and crossed-out eyes, and the logo removes the space between “Mr.” and “Charlie's,” leading many people to misread it as “McCharlie's.” The fully plant-based menu includes cheekily named items such as Not a Cheeseburger made with Impossible meat and Frowny Fries, available in kid-focused combos with bright red packaging. Lizzo’s TikTok review of the Frowny Meal helped drive millions of views and the hashtag #veganmcdonalds. Four years later, the brand has expanded beyond California to multiple cities and plans further growth, supported by investment and multistate expansion deals.

"Mr. Charlie's opened its first location in Los Angeles in 2022, it became something of a social media sensation. For one, there are the striking red-and-yellow branding similarities to McDonald's, though in this case, the yellow isn't a golden arch; it's an upside-down frown and two crossed-out eyes. The company also leaves no space between "Mr." and "Charlie's" in its logo, leaving plenty of folks to incorrectly call it McCharlie's, like McDonald's, instead."

"Secondly, the entirely plant-based menu offers cheekily named dishes like Not a Cheeseburger (made with Impossible meat) and Frowny Fries, which can be ordered together as combos and come in bright red cardboard packaging for children, including the arched handle."

"In early 2022, music superstar Lizzo reviewed the chain's Frowny Meal on TikTok and garnered more than 4 million views. Soon, #veganmcdonalds was all over social media."

"Thanks to investment from Access Capital Group, Mr. Charlie's now has 25 locations sold nationwide, with 18 stores planned for Arizona alone. According to Adam Wilks, president of Mr. Charlie's, the brand is planning a flagship in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego, as well as an Austin, Texas, outpost. It's also looking at other markets as far away as Atlanta."

Read at SFGATE