When R&R Marketplace in Dellwood officially opens on Sept. 15, 2023, Cathy Jenkins, co-owner of Cathy's Kitchen in Ferguson with her husband, Jerome, told customers that a restaurant will soon be joining the tenant roster.
“We're almost here, I can't wait,” she said.
“We're not just moving. Our Ferguson location will remain the same. The menu may change a little bit here, but Cathy's Kitchen will have two locations.”
The Dellwood location officially opened on Juneteenth, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, welcoming friends, guests and many enthusiastic diners.
They included St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, Dellwood Mayor Reggie Jones and Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones.
“The day has finally come,” Kathy Jenkins said in a Facebook post.
“We must have had about 20 plumbers and electricians come. We're really glad we took the time to decorate it.”
The decor includes art depicting the Ferguson Uprising, a time when the newly opened Cathy's Kitchen Restaurant and Diner suddenly became an invaluable part of the community.
As for the new Dellwood store, “everything is new,” Jenkins said.
“The appliances are new and the kitchen is clean and perfect.”
Cathy's is also modern: no cash is accepted – all purchases must be made with a debit or credit card, all ordering is done electronically at a kiosk, and an automated robot called “Plato” helps clear tables.
The restaurant opened in 2013 and quickly became a St. Louis favorite, with its north St. Louis County location drawing customers from across the region and rave reviews.
Then, on a hot Saturday afternoon, August 9, 2014, Michael Brown was murdered by a Ferguson police officer.
Cathy's Kitchen is just two doors down from the Ferguson Police Station, a hub of militarized police presence and daily protests, and it was impossible to stay open as all sales to the restaurant stopped.
Realizing her plight, Kathy Jenkins prepared all the raw food from the restaurant, loaded it onto a cart and “rolled the cart out to the protesters.”
In November, former St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch announced that Ferguson police officers would not face any charges. Riots and arson erupted.
To her surprise, Jenkins said, all the protesters she had fed formed a human chain around her restaurant, protecting the building from damage. Cathy's was the only restaurant that was open the next day.
Her kindness has brought new popularity to the restaurant, with people coming from all over the world to dine at Cathy's Kitchen.
Diners included actor Danny Glover, the late Harry Belafonte, Kevin Costner, singer Melissa Etheridge and former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
“After the smoke cleared and everyone went home, we had zero business,” Kathy Jenkins told The American's Sylvester Brown in 2021. “It got to the point where I thought we might have to close.”
Etheridge's visit blossomed into a genuine friendship that opened unprecedented doors for the Jenkins: Kathy was invited to be a celebrity chef on Etheridge's tours, and their connection landed them an invitation to the Grammy Awards, where they will return in 2023.
Cathy's Kitchen also quickly adapted to the COVID-19 challenge
Before the national shutdown, Cathy's Kitchen launched as a takeout and delivery-only operation, focusing on providing free meals to children like the protesters did, and taking to the internet to show off new menu items and staff antics in an effort to boost morale among employees, customers, and anyone who visited its website.
That spirit and friendship is still a part of the menu at Cathy's Kitchen.
“It's not any fun without you,” Kathy Jenkins said.
“And don't forget to bring an appetite,” adds Jerome Jenkins.
Ironically, Bell, who beat McCulloch to win the Democratic primary in August 2018 and then won the DA's office in November, placed the first order at the newly opened Cathy's Kitchen in Dellwood.
