Ownership and service have always been at the center of Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley.

With Haitian heritage, Kelley was the oldest of 17 grandchildren, and as early as age 7 he spent time in the kitchen watching his grandmother cook. These moments also taught him the importance of hospitality, he shared with AFROTECH™ in an interview.

He is a practicing litigation lawyer as well with more than two decades of experience and has recovered more than $1 billion for his clients. He shares that his best friends, who are also lawyers, still joke with him about his law school aspiration to sell chicken and liquor one day.

In August 2020, he became the proud founder of Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, a fast-growing restaurant venture in Dallas serving Southern comfort food with signature cocktails and carrying a mission that “everything matters.”

“Law’s taught me so much about conflict resolution, about operating a business, marketing, profit and loss, balance sheets, and so many other things that people don’t understand are integral [to] the success of a restaurant,” he told AFROTECH™.

Kitchen + Kocktails exists in the following cities:

  • Dallas
  • Chicago
  • Atlanta
  • Washington, DC
  • Charlotte
  • Philadelphia
  • Miami
  • New York City
  • Boston (coming)

Kelley also intentionally maintains full ownership of the venture. He believes it has let him make strides with the company on his terms, “without any concern of outside investors, private equity, someone who wants to save a dollar here when maybe a dollar should be spent to give the customers the best.”

The venture sits within the portfolio of Kevin Kelley Concepts, which spans hospitality, entertainment, and lifestyle ventures and includes a sports bar and lounge, KANVAS; Latin club, VIVO; and his law firm. Collectively, these ventures employ more than 1,200 people, reflecting the scale and impact of his growing business enterprise.

Kelley isn’t internalizing the success for himself and instead points to the customers and employees who, he says, share a commitment to showing care and respect to customers.

“Sometimes it can be difficult … That’s 1,200 different minds and hearts and 1,200 different days and emotions that people are dealing with who we’re on the same page with. Some people have bad days sometimes, and we hate that, but I’m not willing to give in on my desire for our customers to be treated the best,” he mentioned.

Kelley made it clear that the desire for more will never be compromised, and that’s reflected in the expansion of his comfort soul food venture, which opened in New York City’s Times Square on Oct. 3. The expansion had been in the works for four years, with Kelley admitting he walked through more than 40 spaces to find the right opportunity.

Photo Credit: Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley

“We want to open restaurants in places that we’re happy being. New York, we feel, is the world’s capital. And every time we’re in New York, myself and my team, my family, we have a great time,” he told AFROTECH™.

The restaurant will initially be led by its corporate chefs to ensure quality. The menu includes Kelley’s personal favorite, blackened shrimp and grits. Sides include fried pickles, mac and cheese, yams, and cornbread, with desserts such as peach cobbler and banana pudding.

“They can expect the best of Southern food that this country has ever seen. Also, I’m very unapologetic about saying that this is the best Southern comfort food ever. I believe in my chefs. I believe in this menu. And I believe that every customer who gives us a chance is going to want to come back to the restaurant again,” he said.

For Kelley, that commitment to service extends beyond the restaurant. He has given several hundred thousand dollars to various charitable organizations and supports more than 50 scholarships annually through Kevin Kelley Concepts.

“Any city that we go to, we’re always going to keep our doors and our doors open and our phones on so that we can receive calls about making a difference or being there for other people. We want to give back, we want to make a difference, we want to be the best that we can be, not just in terms of serving people but also in terms of being good citizens as well. Everything matters to us. Everything matters,” he said.