By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
For Kae Hart, owner of Moe Vegan, located along Pacific Highway in Kent, the restaurant is more than a place to grab a meal. It is a way to honor his late brother, promote healthier living and challenge the way people think about vegan food. Behind the menu of plant-based comfort food is a personal story of loss, sacrifice and a determination to keep his brother’s memory alive.
The inspiration behind Moe Vegan came from Hart’s brother, Maurice, affectionately known as Moe, who died at just 29 years old due to health complications. His brother’s passing became a turning point in Hart’s life, prompting him to make significant lifestyle changes and dedicate himself to health and wellness.
“When he passed away, I just turned my life all the way around and dedicated my life to health and wellness, and that’s what came up with the whole concept of Moe Vegan,” said Hart. “I named the restaurant after him to keep his name alive, and he is what inspired me to come up with the concept and the whole vision.”
Today, Hart carries that vision forward through Moe Vegan’s restaurant along Pacific Highway in Kent and its food truck, offering plant-based versions of familiar comfort foods. From mac and cheese and fried chicken to tacos and burgers, the menu is designed to appeal not only to vegans but also to customers who may have never considered trying plant-based alternatives.
For Hart, one of the most rewarding parts of operating the restaurant is seeing the reactions of customers who arrive with preconceived notions about vegan food.
“I just wish everyone in Seattle could just give us one opportunity just to feed them, and I promise you that we will change your whole outlook on vegan food,” said Hart. “We just need that one opportunity to feed everyone because every time someone comes in here that’s not vegan, their minds are blown away after they try our food.”
Hart said the restaurant’s focus on familiar dishes and bold flavors is intentional, particularly when introducing vegan food to people who may be skeptical.
“They’re expecting to come here and get some rabbit food, but we specialize in vegan comfort food, and we specialize in flavor,” said Hart.
While Hart believes in the restaurant’s food and mission, building awareness and attracting customers have been ongoing challenges. With Moe Vegan located in Kent rather than Seattle, he said getting people to travel outside their usual dining areas has been difficult, especially when the restaurant is trying to reach customers beyond the vegan community.
“Being a small business and not really being in the greater area of Seattle is a challenge for us because not too many people come out this way,” said Hart. “One of the bigger challenges that we faced was just people not knowing who we are.”
Hart also believes the relatively small vegan population makes it more difficult for restaurants like his to build a consistent customer base.
“Also, the vegan population is like 1% of the world,” said Hart. “So, if this is 1% of the world, just think about how many people are vegan in just Seattle. There is a small number of vegans out there, and that is something that is pretty hard to deal with.”
Despite those challenges, Hart has continued investing in the business, making financial and personal sacrifices that reflect how much Moe Vegan means to him.
“Man, I sacrificed it all. I cashed in all my chips. I put everything, every asset, maxed out every credit card, every loan,” said Hart. “I’m all in. I sacrificed it all, my time, my money, everything.”
Along with the financial investment, Hart has had to learn how to manage the daily demands of running a restaurant, including staffing, food preparation and customer service.
When Moe Vegan first opened, customers sometimes waited 30 to 40 minutes for their meals. Hart said developing more efficient systems and improving consistency among staff helped reduce those wait times to approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
“Getting a system down and having consistency with staff and everything was something hard for us at first,” said Hart. “Calendaring staff and just creating that quicker system as bulletproofing, and that’s one of the things that people don’t understand.”
While improving operations has helped the restaurant serve customers more efficiently, Hart said the rising cost of doing business remains one of his biggest concerns.
Like many small restaurant owners, Hart must account for increasing food prices, employee wages, payroll taxes and other overhead expenses while trying to keep his menu affordable for customers. He said those costs leave little room for profit, even when the restaurant is busy.
“The overhead is crazy. I go to sleep thinking about my bills, and my overhead is serious work. I just wish people understood that we’re doing the best we can,” said Hart. “With everything rising, and the cost of the quality ingredients that we put in our food, it just costs a lot, and the margins are very small for small business restaurant owners.”
Hart said the financial reality of operating a small restaurant is something customers may not fully understand, although he recognizes that their primary concern is having a good dining experience.
“After we pay out everybody, pay taxes, and keep the lights on, we’re barely walking away with kibbles and bits,” said Hart. “So I just wish that the customers can understand that, but that’s really not their job. They just come here to eat good food and enjoy it.”
For Hart, those financial pressures underscore the importance of building a loyal customer base. While he remains committed to the vision that inspired Moe Vegan, keeping that vision alive requires more than hard work and determination. It also requires customers who are willing to give the restaurant a chance and continue supporting it.
That is part of the message behind The Seattle Medium’s Pack the House campaign, which encourages residents to intentionally support local Black-owned restaurants. The initiative seeks to raise awareness not only about the food and experiences these businesses offer, but also about the challenges they face and the importance of sustained community support.
For Hart, attracting new customers and encouraging them to return could make a meaningful difference as he works to sustain the business he created in his brother’s memory. He hopes that people who may have never considered vegan food will visit Moe Vegan, discover something they enjoy and become regular customers.
Despite the financial pressures and sacrifices that have come with building the restaurant, Hart remains committed to his vision. He also hopes his journey will inspire others in the community to believe in themselves and pursue their own dreams, even when the obstacles seem overwhelming.
“If I can do it, you can do it. I come from nothing, and all I did was have a vision and put it to work,” said Hart. “There is going to be a lot of obstacles, but only the strong survive. And the main ingredients and recipe for my success were just trusting in God. Just trust in God, keep working hard, and everything will come together.”
Moe Vegan is a participating restaurant in the Pack the House campaign, a 10-week community initiative presented by The Seattle Medium, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Byrd Barr Place and the Central Area Collaborative to encourage the community to intentionally support local Black-owned restaurants. For more information about the campaign, participating restaurants and weekly schedule, visit PackTheHouseSeattle.com.
