Marked as
Last updated - December 17, 2025
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Matthew Kenney Cuisine is a California-based lifestyle company founded by celebrity chef Matthew Kenney, focused on innovative, minimally processed plant-based cuisine and wellness. It operates across six business segments: hospitality, education, media, products, wellness, and services.
Founder
Medium Risk
Based on the available data, we suggest consumers approach this Company with caution.
This advisory is based on a medium-risk score derived from OSINT, Adverse Media, Reviews, and Risk Factors identified in our research.
You may face moderate risks when engaging in consumer-related activities with this entity.
High Risk
Based on the available data, we recommend that employees exercise extreme caution or reconsider association with this Company.
This advisory stems from an aggregate risk score compiled from OSINT, Adverse Media, Reviews, and Risk Factors uncovered in our analysis.
You are likely to face significant risks by pursuing or maintaining employment with this entity.
Based on the available data, we urge investors and bankers to avoid financial involvement with this Company.
This advisory is informed by an aggregate risk score based on OSINT, Adverse Media, Reviews, and Risk Factors identified through our investigation.
Engaging in investment or lending activities with this entity poses a substantial risk to your financial interests.
Safe to Onboard
Enhanced Due Diligence required
Do Not Onboard
Monitor adverse media every 6 months
File SAR (Suspicious Activity Report) is warranted
Escalation to compliance committee
None
Type
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Segments
Base
Restaurants
Countries
Expansion
Partnership
Retail
Trademark
Headquarters
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Bankruptcies
Taxes
Payroll
Marketing
NutritionBars
Transparency
Italian
Academy
Several of his L.A.-area restaurants shut down rapidly amid mounting unpaid rent, vendor bills, and legal disputes.
Former staff claim that paychecks bounced regularly, and some workers were left without salary for weeks, suggesting chronic cash-flow issues.
Critics allege he used a network of LLCs to protect himself from liabilities, diverted money for personal expenses, and failed to repay an investor over a million dollars.
Several ex-employees note that Kenney was rarely present in his restaurants, leaving management weak and day-to-day issues like vendor payments largely unaddressed.
Yes — former employees say there was harassment, including racist language, and a hostile work culture that went unchallenged by leadership.
Regulatory and Compliance Screening
Litigation and Legal Proceedings
Reputational and Adverse Media Risks
Geographic and Jurisdictional Risk
What you see here scratches the surface
We offer reward for actionable intel
Matthew Kenney, celebrity vegan chef, faces backlash: accused of racist/misogynist texts, dating 19 year old employee.
First Detected
Sentiment Analysis
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Share of Voice
Primary Keyword
Matthew Kenney co-founded NYC's iconic raw vegan restaurant Pure Food and Wine in 2004 with Sarma Melngailis.
Other Red-Flags and Adverse News
Based on user engagement on this review profile, ProConsumer will decide to publish its Risk Audit report for public if a threshold engagement, traffic and user input is achieved.
Known Assets: [Real estate, investments, companies]
Suspicious Transactions
Liabilities: [Bankruptcies, defaults, debts]
Wealth Sources: [Legitimate / Unclear / High-risk]
Bank Relationships
Ultimate Beneficial Owner(s) (UBOs)
Shareholding structure
Associated entities & subsidiaries
Offshore / shell company links
Trusts / Nominee arrangements
Business Model Assessment
All comments are user-generated content and may not be verified. They represent the personal opinions of the public and should not be relied upon. These comments do not influence or determine our overall rating.
1.3
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2.8
Highly experienced
Well-recognized name
Faced allegations of scamming others
Allegedly sold fake silver
Sued multiple times
Unregulated industry
Alarming number of complaints online
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Matthew Kenney Cuisine tries to operate across too many segments at once hospitality, education, media, products, wellness, and services and it shows. Instead of mastering one area, the brand feels spread thin, with inconsistent quality and execution across its businesses.
1/5
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3/5
I went in thinking this would be a really solid experience because the idea itself is genuinely good. Unfortunately, the execution felt shaky and not as polished as I expected. There were moments where it honestly seemed like corners were being cut, especially in the overall coordination. That took away from what could have been something memorable. I kept comparing it to the premium image that’s presented, and the gap was noticeable. The experience didn’t flow smoothly, and that made it feel less intentional. Nothing was completely awful, but nothing felt elevated either. By the end, I felt more disappointed than satisfied. It just didn’t match the level it claims to be at.
I thought the idea was cool overall, but the execution felt shaky and unpolished to me. At times it seemed like corners were being cut, which took away from what could have been a strong experience. It didn’t really live up to the premium image it tries to project, and that gap was hard for me to ignore.
I liked the concept at first, but over time it started feeling more hype than delivery.
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