K&J Seafood brings New Orleans-style seafood to a second location
K&J Seafood, a Black-owned restaurant that serves dishes centered around New Orleans-style cooking, recently opened a new location in Bond Hill.
Lifelong friends Keyona Armstead and Joy Willis started this journey when Willis would visit Armstead when she lived in the South. While visiting, they would both create crab boils at different events for their families.
“When I moved back to Cincinnati, I realized there weren’t many seafood restaurants. So we came up with the idea to serve meals for different organizations. For example, we served dinners for a Little League Football Team. A year later, we collectively came together to create K&J Seafood,” says Armstead.
“When we started K&J Seafood, we didn’t think that it would grow into the business it is today. In the beginning, that first Sunday we were exceedingly successful. We probably served a range from 80-100 meals with a little less than a week’s promotion. We continued serving every Sunday, and, as we continued, we also start adding more items to the menu,” says Willis.
Today, the menu is filled with a variety of Creole-inspired dishes, including their signature Crab Boil dish, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Shrimp Po Boy, Shrimp Tacos, Seafood Fries and much more.
When asked about advice she would give entrepreneurs, Willis says, “If I could simplify it, I think it would just be ‘To Start.’ We are close to four years in on this journey and we learn something new every day. To all entrepreneurs, always remember to seek out advice along the way.”
“Remember to use your resources. That is very important on an entrepreneur’s journey. There are so many people in the community that are willing to help entrepreneurs get to their end goal. I also think it is important to market and advertise. I believe that is the No. 1 factor in being able to have a successful business,” says Armstead.
K&J Seafood. Bond Hill: 4928 Reading Rd. Su-M closed, Tu-Th 2-8 p.m., F-Sa 2-10 p.m., 513-873-8727. Findlay Market: 1801 Race St. Tu-F 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sa 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Su 10 a.m.-4 p.m., M closed, 513-834-8000. kjseafood.com.
