Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, the Southern-inspired restaurant concept that has expanded across the United States, will open its first New York City location Oct. 3 in Times Square.
The two-story, 10,000-square-foot restaurant at 7 Times Square will be the company’s largest location to date. Founded by attorney and entrepreneur Kevin Kelley, the brand debuted in Dallas in August 2020 and has since expanded to Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Miami.
Boston is expected to follow New York, with a New Orleans location also planned later in 2026.
“Opening Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley in New York is an incredible milestone for us,” Kelley said in a statement. “Times Square gives us the opportunity to introduce our brand on one of the world’s biggest stages, but we’re building this restaurant for New York.”
Kelley owns the company without outside investors and has expanded without using a franchise model.
The New York menu will feature Southern comfort-food staples, including shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, Southern fried catfish, lobster and waffles, crab cakes and Trinity Egg Rolls filled with macaroni and cheese, and candied yams and greens with turkey.
Cocktails include the 24K Gold Fashioned, Blackberry Margarita, Peach D’USSÉ Frosé, and True Flame, which is served with a live-flame presentation.
The Times Square space will include multiple dining areas, an expansive bar, and a private dining room. Its design features slatted wood ceilings, colorful murals, and floral installations.
Kelley, who was born in Arkansas and raised in Texas, has said his approach to hospitality was shaped by cooking with his grandmother beginning at age 7. He later developed the restaurant concept after working in Paris and missing the Southern food and sense of home he grew up with.
That experience became the basis for the brand’s “Welcome Home” approach to hospitality.
The New York restaurant will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight Friday and Saturday. Reservations are available through the Kitchen + Kocktails website.
