- December 25, 2024
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A longtime Ormond Beach restaurant now has a new owner and name.
Southern Kitchen, formerly Gourmet Kitchen, located at 1930 W. Granada Blvd., Suite 11, reopened on June 12 after it was purchased by Palm Coast resident Tom DeCarlo. Gourmet Kitchen had been open for about 30 years, having been located for about half that long on the beachside.
After 35 years of working in the car dealership industry, DeCarlo was ready for a change in career. Then, a dealership customer mentioned she worked for a company that sold restaurants.
"It really just started me looking and deciding to make a change in my life," DeCarlo said.
He found out in mid-March that Gourmet Kitchen was up for sale. He came into the restaurant a couple times as a customer, tried the food and spoke with the servers.
DeCarlo closed on the restaurant on May 24, his birthday. He said running the restaurant — which he does alongside his family — has been exciting so far.
"We have a lot of regulars," DeCarlo said. "There's been a couple people that are here every morning for breakfast. I love that."
He's not the first restaurant owner in his family. Growing up, DeCarlo's parents owned a seafood restaurant and market in New Jersey. His brother-in-law ran a pizzeria on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey as well.
DeCarlo is also a big fan of barbecue — his father gifted him with a smoker when DeCarlo was in his early 30s, and he said he was "hooked" from that moment on. He entered his first barbecue competition about 15 years ago.
So naturally, the updated menu for Southern Kitchen features some barbecue options: brisket and pulled pork. Ribs and smoked chicken are in the pipeline for the near future.
DeCarlo said he knew that Gourmet Kitchen had a significant following in town, so when he updated the menu, he wanted to add options — like avocado toast — without removing popular dishes.
"I want to keep a lot of the tradition of what they (the previous owners) had," he said.
And the name change? Well, DeCarlo may not be a southerner himself, but he said he loves southern home cooking, which is what he hopes to bring to the community.
Southern Kitchen is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesday through Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.
Visit southernkitchenormondbeach.com.
