After rapidly expanding from Dallas to major cities across the United States, Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley is making its biggest move yet: opening in the heart of New York City. Known for its elevated Southern comfort food, crafted kocktails and signature “Welcome Home” hospitality, the fast-growing restaurant concept will officially open its first New York location—and largest location to date—on Saturday, October 3 at 7 Times Square. Reservations are now open at kitchenkocktailsusa.com/newyork.
The opening marks a major milestone in the national expansion of Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley. Founded and solely owned by attorney and entrepreneur Kevin Kelley without any outside investors or a franchise model, the concept has grown from a single Dallas restaurant, which debuted in August 2020, to locations in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Philadelphia and Miami in just six years. The New York opening, with Boston soon to follow, deepens the brand’s presence in the Northeast. Later in 2026, Kitchen + Kocktails will add New Orleans to its growing national footprint.
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“Opening Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley in New York is an incredible milestone for us,” said Kelley. “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. Whether you’re coming from Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Manhattan or visiting from across the country or around the world, we want you to walk through our doors and feel like this is your restaurant. That’s what ‘Welcome Home’ means to us.”
Guests can expect Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley’s signature Southern-inspired favorites, including Shrimp & Grits; Chicken & Waffles, sautéed shrimp and peppers, reduced with white wine and finished with cream sauce; Southern Fried Catfish, cornmeal-crusted Mississippi catfish; Lobster & Waffles, fried or grilled lobster tail served with homemade waffles; Crab Cakes, jumbo lump crab with Cajun spices and remoulade;and Trinity Egg Rolls, deep-fried egg roll stuffed with mac & cheese, candied yams and greens with turkey, served with a sweet and spicy sauce. Popular kocktails including the 24K Gold Fashioned, warm amber comfort with a glossy, modern edge that is smooth, rich and built for the evening; Blackberry Margarita, blackberry-forward, bright lime and a clean tequila finish and served over ice with a jewel-toned glow;the national best-seller Peach D’USSÉ Frosé, frozen rosé vibes with juicy peach and a smooth, luxe edge that is sweet, chilled and dangerously easy; and True Flame, a dramatic spectacle of fire and flavor that is warm, bold and unforgettable—served with a live flame presentation.
With its new, 10,000-square-foot Times Square location, Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley brings its welcoming restaurant concept to one of the world’s most visited and iconic destinations. The two-story space showcases a bold, maximalist design blending undulating wave-slatted wooden ceilings, vibrant cultural murals and dense floral installations to create a highly immersive, Instagram-worthy dining environment. Featuring multiple dining areas, an expansive bar and a private dining room, the location has been designed to welcome tourists and theatergoers, as well as New Yorkers and guests from throughout the tri-state area.
That sense of welcome traces back to Kelley’s childhood. Born in Arkansas and raised in Texas, he began learning to cook at age seven alongside his grandmother, who taught him that feeding people was about more than putting food on the table—it was a way of letting them know they mattered. Years later, while working in Paris, Kelley found himself craving the Southern cooking and feeling of home he had grown up with. That experience helped inspire Kitchen + Kocktails and his vision of bringing both the flavors and hospitality of home to diners across the country.
The Times Square opening accelerates Kelley’s vision of building Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley into a major national hospitality brand while remaining rooted in the Southern flavors, culture and sense of welcome that inspired its beginning.
Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley in NYC will be open daily from 7 am to 10 pm, Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.
For more information and reservations (starting on October 3), visit kitchenkocktailsusa.com/newyork and follow @kitchenkocktailsusa.com.
