A longtime Ormond Beach restaurant has new owners and a new name.
Southern Kitchen, formerly Gourmet Kitchen, located at 1930 W. Granada Blvd., Suite 11, was purchased by Palm Coast resident Tom DeCarlo and reopened June 12. Gourmet Kitchen has been in business for about 30 years, with a beachside location for about half of that time.
After 35 years in the car sales industry, DeCarlo was looking for a career change when a customer at the dealership mentioned she worked for a company that sold restaurants.
“That was really the catalyst that made me decide to change my life,” DeCarlo said.
He learned that Gourmet Kitchen was for sale in mid-March, and he's visited the restaurant several times as a customer, sampling the food and talking with staff.
DeCarlo closed the restaurant on his birthday, May 24. He said running the restaurant with his family has been fun so far.
“We have a lot of regulars,” DeCarlo said, “and a few people who come for breakfast every morning, which is great.”
He's not the first restaurateur in his family: When DeCarlo was growing up, his parents owned a seafood restaurant and market in New Jersey, and his brother-in-law also owned a pizzeria on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey.
DeCarlo is also a big fan of barbecue. When he was in his early 30s, his father gave him a smoker as a gift, and he fell in love with barbecue from that moment on. He first participated in a barbecue contest about 15 years ago.
Naturally, Southern Kitchen's latest menu features several barbecue options, including brisket and pulled pork, with ribs and smoked chicken coming soon.
DeCarlo said he knew Gourmet Kitchen had a significant following in the city, so when updating the menu, he wanted to add options like avocado toast without removing favorites.
“I want to keep a lot of the traditions that they (the previous owners) had,” he said.
So, why the name change? DeCarlo may not be from the South himself, but he loves Southern home cooking and wants to bring it to the region.
Southern Kitchen is open Monday and Wednesday through Saturday from 7am to 2pm, and Sunday from 8am to 2pm. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.
Visit southernkitchenormondbeach.com.