When Mr. Charlie’s first opened its doors in February 2022, the plant-based fast-food restaurant immediately caused fanfare. From day one, TikTokers dubbed the new and novel eatery “the vegan McDonald’s,” and the nickname stuck.
With a menu reminiscent of the one found at the Golden Arches, plant-based eaters and omnivores alike flocked to Mr. Charlie’s for a taste of nostalgia, minus the meat. Since opening its flagship Los Angeles location, Mr. Charlie’s now operates outposts in San Francisco and Sydney, Australia.
Today, co-owners Taylor McKinnon and Aaron Haxton remain focused on their expansion efforts and, now, have earned one of their most prominent financial backings yet: legendary boxer and entrepreneur Mike Tyson. With an investment from Tyson’s holding company Carma HoldCo., Mr. Charlie’s is set to launch its new franchise program.
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Mike Tyson invests in Mr. Charlie’s
Tyson’s Carma HoldCo.—best known for spearheading global brands—boasts a number of celebrity lines including the boxer’s very own premium cannabis brand, Tyson 2.0; energy drinks, clothing, and more from WWE hall-of-famer Ric Flair; and EVOL by Future, a cannabis lifestyle brand by the Grammy-winning artist.
Co-founded by Tyson and CEO Adam Wilks, Carma HoldCo. is expanding its brand portfolio with Mr. Charlie’s, the brand’s first investment in the restaurant industry.
Carma HoldCo.
“As someone who embraced a vegan lifestyle for many years, I understand firsthand the power of plant-based eating—not just for our health, but for the planet. Mr. Charlie’s is redefining what fast food can be, offering delicious vegan meals while giving back to communities that need it most,” Tyson tells VegNews.
“Investing in their mission of sustainability and second chances is important to me because it’s about more than business—it’s about driving meaningful change and creating healthier, kinder options for everyone.”
A new fast-food model
Although Mr. Charlie’s opened its doors just two years ago, it’s already making major waves in the fast-food model. While the fast-food restaurant created a loyal consumer base with offerings such as the Not a Cheeseburger, Not a Chicken Sandwich, and the Mr. Chuck (a plant-based reimagining of the Big Mac), it’s Mr. Charlie’s hiring practices that have struck a chord with its legions of followers.
In Los Angeles, the restaurant has fostered strong ties with the Dream Center, a nationwide organization that provides housing, job training, and additional resources to unhoused and formerly incarcerated people hoping to get back on their feet. At Mr. Charlie’s flagship location, more than a dozen employees are Dream Center participants.
At the restaurant’s San Francisco outpost, McKinnon and Haxton work with GLIDE and Urban Alchemy—organizations also committed to helping the unhoused—to offer local communities with similar opportunities to re-enter the workforce.
Mr.Charlie’s
And nearly 8,000 miles away in Sydney, Australia, Mr. Charlie’s provides employment opportunities, donates food, and helps create youth programs at the Redfern Community Center, which serves local indigenous communities.
This community-driven ethos is driven by McKinnon’s own experience living on the streets of Los Angeles after relocating from Australia. Like for so many of Mr. Charlie’s employees, it was the Dream Center that helped McKinnon find his footing.
“When we first came across Mr. Charlie’s, I instantly fell in love,” says Wilks. “The great food, the innovation behind it, the team, the focus on community impact and giving back … that was powerful to us. Having these conversations with Mike [Tyson], he resonated with the brand in such a deep way.”
Mr. Charlie’s sets sights on franchising
Hopeful franchisees, McKinnon notes, must align with Mr. Charlie’s mission-driven ethos.
“We can tell you as a group, collectively, that we stand for more than money. We want to ensure that the partners we’re bringing in are signing onto this same loving work. If someone wants to come in and doesn’t want to support the cause, we’re just simply not going to work like that,” McKinnon says.
Mr. Charlie’s
Already, Mr. Charlie’s has identified key US markets as it readies for expansion, and the franchise inquiries are rolling in by the thousands. Wilks, especially, is poised to help Mr. Charlie’s co-founders lead such efforts. The Carma HoldCo. CEO previously worked with quick-service industry leaders including Pinkberry and Cold Stone Creamery, and will utilize his expertise to further scale Mr. Charlie’s.
“I can honestly say I’ve never been as excited and optimistic with any brand or concept as I have now with Mr. Charlie’s, and Mike [Tyson] shares the same feelings,” he says. “Knowing where he came from, a lot of hardships that he had to deal with, and hearing of Taylor [McKinnon]’s story and the story of Mr. Charlie’s and everything behind it—the mission, the offerings, and all the opportunities, it was a perfect fit for us.”
What the future holds
Known for one-of-a-kind promotional deals such as Not a Hamburger Mondays—when burgers are on sale for just $0.99—Mr. Charlie’s promises fun new menu items to help celebrate its newest investment partnership with Tyson. Wilks and McKinnon remain tight lipped for the time being, but tease big things.
Design by Richard Bowie | Photos by Mr. Charlie’s
“We have some tricks and some ideas and some things we’ve already developed. They’re legendary. They’re funny. They’re kind, and they create change, but most importantly, they’re making us all feel like kids right now,” McKinnon says.
As for Wilks, he’s set on global expansion. “I would like to see [Mr. Charlie’s] everywhere in the world,” he says.
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
Jocelyn Martinez is an Associate Editor at VegNews living in Los Angeles, CA.
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