The move brings a rapidly expanding plant-based concept into the heart of one of San Diego’s most LGBTQ+ and restaurant-rich neighborhoods. For more than 15 years, the corner spot housed Chocolat, a beloved Italian-leaning café known for gelato, crepes, pizzas, and late-night desserts before quietly closing earlier this year and leaving a noticeable void on the Fifth Avenue strip.
Mr. Charlie’s launched in Los Angeles in 2022 and quickly gained a cult following for its nostalgic red-and-yellow branding, an evident rip on McDonald's, and cheeky spins on fast-food staples. The menu focuses on fully plant-based versions of burgers, “Not Chicken” sandwiches and nuggets, fries, breakfast sandwiches, soft-serve, and its signature Mr. Frowny Meals, all designed to scratch a drive-thru-style craving without the meat or dairy.
The company’s founders have described the brand as an answer to conventional fast food, pairing craveable, familiar flavors with a mission-driven approach that emphasizes compassion, sustainability, and second-chance employment. Locations in Hollywood, San Francisco, Sydney, and Brentwood frequently draw lines out the door, and the brand has begun franchising as it expands across the U.S. and abroad.
In Hillcrest, Mr. Charlie’s will inherit a high-profile corner with a built-in following from years of Chocolat regulars. While design details for the San Diego outpost have yet to be revealed, diners can expect the same loud, playful aesthetic and streamlined menu that has fueled the concept’s growth elsewhere. With its mix of longtime residents, bar crowds, and late-night foot traffic, the neighborhood seems tailor-made for a vegan fast-food spot serving burgers and fries into the evening.
The vegan chain's San Diego arrival will be quickly followed by a second branch. Mr. Charlie’s announced that it will also open a location in Pacific Beach, although it was not specific on the exactly address for the coastal restaurant.
Mr. Charlie’s is expected to open in early 2026 at 3896 Fifth Avenue in San Diego's Hillcrest. For more information, visit mrcharlies.co.
Originally published on November 18, 2025.
