Matthew Kenney

Matthew Kenney is an American celebrity chef, entrepreneur, author, and educator specializing in plant-based cuisine. He is the author of 12 cookbooks, founder of dozens of vegan restaurants, and founder of the companies Matthew Kenney Cuisine and Matthew Kenney Culinary, a plant-based diet education business.

Early life and education
Kenney was born in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and grew up in Searsport, Maine. After graduating from the University of Maine with a degree in political science, he became a chef. He attended the French Culinary Institute, now the International Culinary Center, learning classical culinary techniques. Upon graduating in 1990, he worked at various kitchens in New York City.

Career
Kenney opened his namesake restaurant Matthew's in 1993 in New York City. He became Food & Wine magazine's "1994 Best New Chef". He opened the restaurants Mezze, Monzu Canteen, Commune, and Commissary. Kenney has said the economic slump caused by the September 11 terror attacks caused his restaurants to close. Between 2021 and 2024, at least 17 of Kenney's restaurants closed.

Pure Food and Wine
Kenney, partner Sarma Melngailis and investor Jeffrey Chodorow in 2004 opened a vegan restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, in New York City.

Kenney left Pure Food and Wine in 2005, and the owner and manager sued him, alleging he broke his contract.

Culinary academy
In 2009, Kenney opened his first culinary academy in Oklahoma City. In 2012, he moved the renamed Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy to Santa Monica, California, and relocated his company to Los Angeles. In 2013, he established a campus of the Academy in Belfast, Maine. In 2017, he sold the Academy to Adam Zucker.

Matthew Kenney Cuisine
In 2012 Kenney formed Matthew Kenney Cuisine, a Los Angeles-based restaurant lifestyle company offering a variety of plant-based services and products, including hospitality, education, media, products and services. As of 2022, Matthew Kenney Cuisine operates more than 50 active restaurants, in more than 12 countries.

In 2017, he was sued for unpaid rent at the popular Plant Food and Wine in Miami. In December 2017, he faced debt and foreclosure proceedings in Belfast, Maine, on a building that housed his former culinary academy.

In 2019, Matthew Kenney Cuisine opened an all-vegan food hall Plant City in Providence, Rhode Island. In 2019, he launched Ntidote Life nutrition bars with Dr. Amir Marashi.

Legal issues
In 2022, the contents of Kenney's restaurant Sestina were auctioned off by the state of New York for unpaid taxes and the Double Zero in Boston was closed by sheriff deputies because of unpaid rent. His restaurant Plant Pub Fenway was evicted for unpaid rent, also in 2022.

As of 2024, multiple lawsuits that allege fraud, illegal labor practices, harassment, or failing to pay creditors, landlords, and employees, have been filed against Kenney and his companies in at least nine states.

Active
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 * Make Out, Culver City, California (2015–present)
 * Double Zero, New York City, (2016–present),
 * Matthew Kenney NM, Beverly Hills, (2016–present),
 * Plant Food and Wine, Miami, (2016–present),
 * Plant Cafe, Bahrain (2017–present),
 * plnthouse: The Good Kitchen, Miami (2017–present),
 * Oliver's of Montecito, Montecito (2017–present),
 * XYST, New York City, (2017–present),
 * Bar Verde, New York City, (2017–present),
 * Plant City, Providence, Rhode Island (2019–present),
 * Baia, Hayes Valley, San Francisco, California (2020–present),

Closed
• Matthew’s, New York City (1993–2001),

• Mezze, New York City (1995–2002),

• Monzu, SoHo, New York City (1997–1999),

• Cafe M, Stanhope Hotel, New York City (1998–)

• Commune, New York City (1999–2003),

• Canteen, SoHo, New York City (1999–2001),

• Commissary, New York City (2001–2003),

• Pure Food and Wine, New York City (2003),

• Free Foods NYC, W. 45th Street, New York City (2007–2014),

• Free Foods NYC, 52nd Street, New York City (?–2009),

• Arata, Belfast, Maine (2015–2016),

• Tamazul, Oklahoma City (2012–2014),

• The Gothic, Belfast, Maine (2013–2016),

• M.A.K.E., Santa Monica, California (2012),

• The White Lotus, Miami, Florida (2014),

• New Deli, Venice, California (2018–2021)

• Heirloom, Lower East Side, New York,

• Cafe 118, Winter Park, Florida,

• Blue/Green juice bars, various locations in New York City and one in Darien, Connecticut

• Sestina, New York City, (2020–2022),

• Liora, Baltimore, Maryland (2021-2023)

• Double Zero, Baltimore, Maryland (2021-2023)

• Double Zero, Venice, California (2019–2023)

• Hungry Angelina, Long Beach, California (2020–2022)

• Plantpub, Boston, MA(2022-2023)

• Essence Cuisine Shoreditch, London, (2017–2023) }}
 * Sestina, Culver City, California (2020–2023)
 * Plant Food and Wine, Venice, California, (2015–2024),

Awards

 * 1994: Food & Wine, Best New Chef,