The once-crowded path of plant-based burger chains to national status is littered with the bodies of those that didn’t make it. But one concept is attracting famous investors who see growth potential.
Mr. Charlie’s TMS (the TMS stands for “told me so,” which is a Grateful Dead reference) this week announced that Travis Barker, the drummer for the band Blink-182 and husband of reality television personality Kourtney Kardashian, has joined Mr. Charlie’s as an equity partner and brand ambassador.
Barker is described as a long-time advocate of plant-based living. He joins boxing champion Mike Tyson as another (vegan) celebrity investor in the brand through his company Carma HoldCo (which is also behind Tyson’s gummy edibles shaped like an ear with a bite taken out of it).
Founded in Los Angeles in 2022 by Taylor McKinnon and Aaron Haxton, Mr. Charlie’s has been called “the vegan McDonald’s” because of its branding similarities—which could be seen as either tribute or parody—though there’s no connection to the burger giant.
There’s the red-and-yellow design, for example, and surprisingly similar taste profiles. Mr. Charlie’s offers Frowny Meals, rather than Happy Meals, with burger and nugget combos.
It’s also a concept with a mission to help support the Dream Center, a nonprofit that helps people in life transitions find work, like those going through addiction or after incarceration. It’s an organization that McKinnon has said helped him through a dark period in his life, and he vowed to give back.
That community outreach is also what drove Barker to the brand, he said in a statement.
“Mr. Charlie’s isn’t just another food concept—it’s a movement,” said Barker. “What they’re building across food, culture and community resonates with me. I’m excited to take it to the next level.”
Mr. Charlie’s recently opened its fifth unit, in San Diego, and another flagship is coming to the city’s Hillcrest neighborhood in May. Expansion is also coming to Austin, Texas. The company said another 25 are in development.
It's one of few plant-based burger chains to survive. Gone are Kevin Hart's four-unit Hart House concept, as well as Veggie Grill's Stand Up Burger. The owner of Atlanta-based Slutty Vegan has struggled, losing control of the brand and later buying it back. Amy's Drive Thru closed its last location earlier this year. And Neat Burger, a concept backed by actor Leo DiCaprio, also shuttered all units in the U.S. and U.K. in 2025.
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