The Hart of Catering Is Hosting a Kevin Hart Look-Alike Contest and the Winner Gets a $5,000 Party Catering Package
The Hart of Catering Is Hosting a Kevin Hart Look-Alike Contest and the Winner Gets a $5,000 Party Catering Package
If you’ve ever made a reservation under the name “Kevin Hart” and watched someone’s eyebrows shoot up, you’ll understand exactly why the real-life Kevin Hart — owner of The Hart of Catering in Rittenhouse — decided it was time to have some fun with it. This Philadelphia entrepreneur has spent years getting double takes from Uber drivers, hosts, and business partners who assume he shares more than just a name with the city’s most famous comedic export. Now he’s leaning all the way in.
On Monday, July 6 — the comedian Kevin Hart’s actual birthday — The Hart of Catering Café at 2101 Sansom Street will host a Kevin Hart look-alike contest starting at 6 p.m. Guests will get complimentary birthday cake from the café’s in-house bakeshop, and contestants are invited to show up dressed as either Kevin Hart: the funnyman from North Philly or the local restaurateur hosting the party.
The judging panel reads like a who’s-who of Philly’s comedy scene: Mel Harris, a local comic who actually went to high school with the comedian; Lawrence Killebrew, a frequent opener for Hart’s Philadelphia shows; Rasheed Wesley Jr., the first-ever winner of Soul Joel’s Best of the Burbs; Shevaun Brannigan, who balances stand-up with her day job as director of development and communications at the Homeless Advocacy Project; and beloved local comedian Peggy O’Leary.
While most viral look-alike contests send winners home with little more than a cheap trophy and a story to tell, this one comes with real stakes — the winner takes home a fully catered party valued at $5,000, courtesy of The Hart of Catering. The prize includes catering, a cocktail bar, and decor tailored to whatever occasion the winner chooses.
“After years of brainstorming how to embrace this coincidence in the right way, I am beyond excited to do this,” said café owner Kevin Hart. “With Netflix’s Roast of Kevin Hart and celebrity look-alike contests blowing up recently, it felt like the perfect time to go for it. My team and I are very much looking forward to welcoming new faces into our business, and hopefully the real Kevin Hart will show up if he’s in town for the city’s Welcome America festivities!”
The contest taps into a trend that’s been sweeping the country since late 2024, when YouTuber Anthony Po hosted a Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest in New York’s Washington Square Park. That event drew hundreds of spectators and competitors, went viral almost overnight, and kicked off a wave of celebrity look-alike contests across the globe.
Those interested in competing — or nominating someone else for the role — can RSVP through Eventbrite.
The Hart of Catering & Café has been a fixture in Rittenhouse since opening in November 2022, serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, and desserts daily during daytime hours. Its catering arm specializes in corporate and social events. More information is available at kevinhartcatering.com.
