Behind a Vegan Chef’s Holistic Empire, an Ugly Reality

Josie Duran overheard Matthew Kenney’s pitch many times.

As a lead server at Plant Food + Wine in Venice Beach, Calif., Ms. Duran often waited on Mr. Kenney, the restaurant’s chef and owner, as he entertained potential investors on the restaurant’s fig-tree-shaded patio, persuading them to trust him with their money for his ambitious culinary projects.

At a time when adopting a plant-based diet has become an environmental and ethical cause around the world, Mr. Kenney, 59, is among the world’s most famous vegan chefs. Plant Food was the flagship restaurant of Matthew Kenney Cuisine, a sprawling, health-focused company that until recently operated, managed or invested in more than 50 restaurants across the globe, from Los Angeles to São Paulo to Dubai.

But Ms. Duran grew to resent Mr. Kenney’s visits — in part, she said, because she believed she was helping the chef cultivate a misleading image of success.

“I just knew the investors were investing in a lost cause, and I couldn’t say anything,” said Ms. Duran, who worked at the restaurant from 2021 until she quit early last year. “I would have my check bounced for the fifth pay period in a row, and Matthew Kenney would be presenting to them how amazing Plant Food + Wine is doing.”

In fact, Plant Food, which just relocated to the Four Seasons hotel in July, closed in January, the latest of at least 17 restaurants associated with Mr. Kenney that have shuttered since late 2021.