Kitchen + Kocktails Opens In Larger Location To Accommodate Growth

Kevin Kelley is the owner of Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley. Photo provided by Heron Agency.
Kevin Kelley is the owner of Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley. Photo provided by Heron Agency.

Kitchen + Kocktails Opens In Larger Location To Accommodate Growth

By Tia Carol Jones

Kevin Kelley opened Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley’s Chicago location in September of 2021. Earlier this month, the Chicago location moved into a larger 13,000 square foot space at 339 N. Dearborn Street. The restaurant which boasts elevated Southern classics and curated cocktails wants to continue to bring guests quality food and a great vibe.

“You don’t just get a great food experience, you’re going to get a great people experience, a great human experience, because we try to give you everything wrapped in one,” he said.

Kelley said business has been fantastic over the last four years and the support the restaurant has received from the city has been phenomenal. He said while the team believed in the city, they weren’t sure how things were going to work out here. Now, Kitchen + Kocktails is 100% sure of the city and it is doubling down by opening its new space, which Kelley described as going from a good place to a great place.

The 339 N. Dearborn location has a bigger kitchen, more seats and private rooms for guests to dine in, as well as a good valet in the front. Despite the location change, the menu will remain the same. He said the reason for the move was to accommodate the number of people who come to the restaurant on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. He said he was disappointed that because it was so busy at the previous location, they had to turn away people.

“This is a good opportunity for us to allow everyone to enjoy the Kitchen + Kocktails experience,” he said.

Kelley said a lot of people who come to the restaurant are celebrating special events and milestones and now, they can celebrate those moments in the private dining rooms. He said that while Chicago is already a fantastic city of tourism, he is happy to be in River North and have visitors and tourists come and dine at the restaurant. He said hearing people from other places say they have travelled to eat at the restaurant makes him and his team happy. He said it is special when people are willing to travel to have the Kitchen + Kocktails experience.

Kelley said the most popular dish on the menu remains the chicken and waffles. He said people also love the jerk lamb chops and the shrimp and grits. He said everything that is made at Kitchen + Kocktails is from his grandmother’s kitchen and from the South, based on what she taught him.

“We’re really happy and if she were alive, she’d be really happy today, too, to see how many people enjoy the food that she made comfortable with me,” he said.

Kitchen + Kocktails has locations in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas and there is a location opening in Philadelphia in September. As a business owner, Kelley said he is humbled to see how the concept has grown and been received by patrons. He said it means that people trust him and his team and are giving them a chance to serve them. He said in serving hundreds of thousands of people each year, there will be mistakes that are made, but even when not perfect, people have still given them a chance to get things right. He said it means a lot to him because he knows the food is good and the drinks are good.

“There’s nobody in America that has better comfort food than us. We’re just so happy that people are showing that they believe what we say,” he said.

Kelley said that in the four years of Kitchen + Kocktails being in Chicago, he has learned to get it right. He said that he learned that with time, there is room to go from good to great. He said while there were mistakes made, the people of Chicago believed in the concept and returned and supported the restaurant. He said he believed that Chicagoans were fantastic before bringing the restaurant to the city, but being here, now it is not a question because they have shown their support for the restaurant.

Kelley said he wants Kitchen + Kocktails to continue to entertain well in the Chicago space. Although the restaurant has had a presence in the city for four years and it has done well, he wants to do better by adding more jobs, improving to-go offerings and catering. He said by introducing catering, it is a way to serve churches, family functions and small events. Kelley said he is looking forward to people coming to the new restaurant space and seeing why he is so excited about it, as well as using the space to gather for large events.

“We chose Chicago because we love the city, and the city has shown they love the food and drinks of Kitchen + Kocktails. Come see our new restaurant, come try the food, enjoy the experience and give us an opportunity to show you why we’re going from good to great,” he said.

For more information about Kitchen + Kocktails, visit kitchenkocktailsusa.com.

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