The Celebrity-Backed Burger Chain That's Closing A Ton Of Restaurants

Spoiler alert: at the end of the movie "Titanic," one of the last lines that Leonardo DiCaprio's character hears is that the love of his life will never let go, only to slip into the icy waters below. Unfortunately for DiCaprio he must let go of his beloved burger vegan franchise, Neat Burger, which will be shuddering doors across the United Kingdom and added to the growing list of chain restaurants going out of business.

DiCaprio might have seen his biggest payday as an actor for his role in "Inception," but when it came to the restaurant business, the money wasn't in Neat Burger. According to The Street, DiCaprio and his co-owner, legendary Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, are closing down their vegan fast food chain in London's Soho and Camden neighborhoods, leaving only two of the eight locations in operation. Lewis has had several different investors in Neat Burger since founding it in 2019, including DiCaprio, who came aboard in 2022 and Belgian soccer player Thibaut Courtoi in 2023.

However, Neat Burger is now joining the ranks of several other restaurants that have failed and are drastically scaling back, if not ending operations all together.

If you did not live in the United Kingdom or visit across the pond all that often, chances are you never got to eat at a Neat Burger. The fast food chain's menu included burgers and sandwiches, along with wings, protein bowls, salads, and milkshakes all made according to vegan dietary restrictions. Neat Burger's mission statement proclaimed that the restaurant cooked everything from scratch, "creating flavour with local and seasonal vegetables using protein packed" and used "wholesome ingredients, better for the planet and better for you."

While the aim of Neat Burger was to create a niche dining experience, it was not quite able to find a way to generate a profit. The Sun highlighted that the appeal of a plant-based burger chain never found its menu-market fit, which Owner described as the leading cause of failure for any restaurant. By 2021, Neat Burger had racked up £3.2m, roughly $4,264,832. That might have been manageable until 2022 when the chain reported £7.9m in losses or about $10,528,804.

Some A-list actors can make big bucks off residuals and other payments that accumulate over time from past projects. Even so, many notable names in Hollywood try to cash in on their celebrity and use it to further add to their net worth and wealth. A few create brands, others take commercial gigs, and some mega stars go into the food service business.

A celebrity endorsement or name on the sign can bring customers in the door, but when it comes to running a restaurant, the food, service, and atmosphere will ultimately keep them returning as patrons. Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Steven Spielberg, and Justin Timberlake had to learn the hard way that owning and operating a restaurant is very different from making a big budget movie as noted by the Daily Meal.

Other celebs such as Britney Spears, Smokey Robinson, and even Hulk Hogan have all tried to start a restaurant, only to watch their efforts crash and burn. Making money in the restaurant business is tough, particularly as of late. Major fast-food chains are closing down locations all over the United States and many restaurants are struggling to stay open with the ripple effects of Covid-19 continuing to shake up how they do business nearly five years later. For those who loved Neat Burger's vegan offerings, their hearts will go on despite the lights going off.