A 23-year-old entrepreneur has teamed up with Chef Matthew Kenney to create a space rooted in art, nature, and simplicity.
This January, NYC gets a new vegan farm-to-table, zero-waste concept with the opening of SCEN, a fast-casual restaurant built on a philosophy created by a collective of scientists, developers, and artists. The founder, 23-year-old entrepreneur Maximilian Koenig, partnered with Chef Matthew Kenney to develop a menu that is rooted in nutritional science and aims to advance the health of both humans and nature.
SCEN is partnering with the Total Resource Use and Efficiency program to become the world’s first certified zero-waste restaurant.
“My generation is tired of compromising the planet and our own health for convenience on a daily basis—however, the current options are limited and require a lot of critical research. We set out to develop every detail of our concept based on the health of humans and the planet. It is our mission to create a circular food supply chain for the cities of the future and make nutritional science available for everyone,” Maximilian Koenig, founder of SCEN, told VegOut.
A Restaurant Inspired by the “Japandi” Philosophy
SCEN—Swedish for “stage” and pronounced like the Japanese “Zen”—is a restaurant inspired by the “Japandi” philosophy, which marries Scandinavian functionality and Japanese minimalism to create a space of art, nature, and simplicity. The goal was to create a menu that is functional, accessible, organic, and artful. With this philosophy in mind, SCEN combines New Nordic cuisine with a Japanese style of plant-forward cuisine called shojin-ryori, which promotes local, natural, and seasonal produce while also emphasizing a plant-based diet, resource conservation, and sustainability.
A Holistic Menu with Plant-Based Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Options
SCEN offers a holistic menu with plant-based breakfast, lunch, and dinner options (bagels, customizable bowls, and pre-made sushi rolls) for people on the go. Smoothies, as well as specialty tea, and adaptogenic superdrinks are also available.
“This is a time of exponential growth for the plant-based market. People are realizing that they need to take care of themselves more than ever, in a way that is sustainable and pleasurable,” Chef Matthew Kenney told VegOut. “We continue to see a real shift in the restaurant industry, which has been something I’ve been working toward for a very long time.”
SCEN is located at 1165 Broadway, New York, New York, 10001. The restaurant will hold a grand opening on Tuesday, January 11 from 4-8pm, and regular business hours will be Monday-Friday 8am-8pm and Saturday-Sunday 10am-7pm.
For more information on SCEN, visit SCENstudio.com.
