Orlando-based HUMBL International (HUMBL) launched its namesake brand today at a ribbon cutting event at its flagship Florida location, HUMBL at Windermere Village at 5845 Winter Garden Vineland Road, Windermere, Florida. HUMBL is the first plant-based fast-casual restaurant brand in the region and has two more Central Florida locations in the local pipeline and plans for growing nationally in the near future. Speaking at the event were Paul Mascia, CEO, HUMBL and Orange County District 1 Commissioner, Betsy VanderLey.
HUMBL features the world-renowned plant-based cuisine of celebrity chef Matthew Kenney, who serves as the brand’s chief culinary officer. LA-based chef Kenney is also a two-time James Beard Award nominee, winner of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef award and two-time Veg News Chef of The Year. The HUMBL menu extends Kenney’s focus on delivering the highest quality and freshest plant-based cuisine to the rapidly expanding fast-casual restaurant segment.
“This is such an exciting time for me personally and professionally. My desire for a healthier lifestyle led me to explore plant-based eating. In the process I recognized a major opportunity to bring familiar, delicious and convenient plant-based food to our communities,” says Paul Mascia, HUMBL’s CEO.
“We have a very experienced and talented executive team that has put in countless hours to launch the brand and position it to grow fast,” says Mascia. “Our menu is exclusive to HUMBL and crafted by our co-founder and chief culinary officer, Chef Matthew Kenney. HUMBL also exists to make an impact. Giving back generously to our communities is a key component of our brand experience.”
Much of the produce on the HUMBL menu will come from a partnership with The Villages Grown—a farm to table supplier located in the Villages, 40 miles north of Orlando that grows nutrient dense products, then harvests and delivers them to HUMBL locations for immediate use.
“Though I have restaurants around the world, HUMBL represents a tremendous opportunity for me to share my love for delicious and nutritious plant-based cuisine with more people by recreating many of my finest dishes for the fast-casual customer,” says chef Matthew Kenney, HUMBL’s chief culinary officer. “There’s nothing better than using the freshest and most nutrient rich ingredients which we will receive from The Villages Grown to recreate those classic familiar dishes—the burger, pizza, bowls, ice-cream, and more. As a chef, I’m grateful that my recipes and food can be enjoyed by others and encourage them towards a healthier lifestyle along the way. HUMBL embodies that mission.”
The company is as focused on serving the community as it is on serving great food. Its One-for-One program provides a meal to a hungry child for every meal purchased. Each location is estimated to provide 70,000 meals a year. Also, HUMBL purchases its employee uniforms and merchandise from an organization that rescues and restores human trafficking survivors. HUMBL held its first 5K run recently as the brand encourages people to live a “Life Well Fed”.
