The vegan restaurant scene might be struggling right now (it feels like every other day, we’re reporting another closure), but some restaurateurs are refusing to give up. Take Kory Stetina, for example. Shortly after closing vegan restaurants Dreamboat and Vulture, the entrepreneur is opening a new concept: a cocktail bar called Throne Room.
The new bar isn’t an entirely new restaurant, though. It’s an extension of Kindred, the vegan heavy metal bar that Stetina opened in San Diego, CA back in 2015.
“Throne Room expands upon some Kindred lore,” Stetina tells VegNews. “Its origins trace back to a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired placemat map we created for Kindred’s 2017 Coachella pop-up. That deliberately silly and indulgent map imagined a secret enchanted dwelling hidden beneath the restaurant, as a way of introducing festival-goers to Kindred’s playful mysticism.”
Throne Room
Throne Room is this idea literally brought to life after Stetina acquired the square footage from next door to create it. “As Kindred celebrates its tenth year, it’s been special to reveal a new portal has opened inside,” Stetina added.
And just like Kindred (voted the best vegan bar in VegNews’ 2024 Restaurant Awards) and Mothership (the space-themed bar that Stetina opened in 2022), diners can also expect Throne Room to be fully immersive.
“Providing a sense of escape is probably the most important element of our hospitality,” said Stetina. “How deep that escape leans towards total immersion and vibrant storytelling depends on the project.”
The new bar will offer a 90-minute, full-seated cocktail experience, with guests seated in moody lighting alongside metallic sculptures beneath candlelit chandeliers and vaulted stone ceilings. For dinner and snacks, there will be a range of mezze dishes, including grilled flatbread, fava bean dip, and cashew brie.
Throne Room
The next evolution of Kindred
Throne Room is on-brand for Stetina, who loves to embrace extraordinary, creative concepts for his bars and restaurants.
“With Throne Room, and previously with Mothership, we unapologetically go all the way, creating fictional backstories, mythology, architecture, music, and extremely tiny details,” Stetina continues. “The aim is to create a place where guests leave feeling like they’ve briefly visited somewhere impossible and are a little happier for having gone.”
Throne Room
Stetina isn’t alone in facing closures and refusing to give up. Many restaurateurs are fighting to stay on the vegan scene—and succeeding.
In Oakland, Millennium announced it was closing in May, but a month later it had reopened with a new, more intimate approach. In New York, Caravan of Dreams was featured on the popular Instagram account Humans of New York, and within 48 hours, fans had raised nearly $175,000 to keep the doors open.
To support Throne Room, keep an eye on the restaurant’s social media for more details. It’s currently hosting a soft opening, with an official opening date expected very soon.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
