Katy Kindred

Katy Kindred has been working in restaurants since the age of 14. Baker, barista, line cook, server, sommelier; basically every position you can think of. It was after a visit to her good friend while he was working in Paris when her passion for food and wine truly ignited. Upon her return to Chicago, she went to the fanciest restaurant she had ever eaten at, walked into the office, and told the restaurant managers they needed to hire her. She started as a hostess, studying wine in her time off, progressing to a server as she earned certification as a sommelier at the ripe age of 21. She furthered her wine and food education through traveling, living, and
working in countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, Czech Republic, Italy and Germany, interspersed with different restaurant positions in Chicago to fund her unorthodox education in hospitality.

It was at Chicago’s storied Pump Room as the hotel’s wine director where she met chef now husband, Joe Kindred. While Katy was in Italy working harvest for biodynamic winemaker, Stella Di Campalto and in the kitchen at Poggio Antico in Montacino, Joe came to visit and the two got engaged on a road trip North to Alba. On their return to the States, they moved to San Francisco, and Kindred took up a job at renowned Michelin 3 star restaurant Quince as the assistant general manager, as well as serving as a valuable member of the wine team. It was a desire to be closer to family that brought the duo to Joe’s hometown of Davidson, NC. The Kindreds saved up and planned to open their own first restaurant, a place to serve as a community keystone in Davidson. They fell for a derelict, waterlogged, musty early 1900’s pharmacy building which needed a lot of love and the hands of naive and idealistic entrepreneurs. The restaurant, Kindred, went on to win such accolades as Bon Appetit Hot Ten best new in the US, NYT best restaurants in US, Southern Living best restaurant in NC, and more. Kindred has since opened Hello, Sailor – a lakeside modern take on a fish camp with a punchy, retro Palm Springs vibe which also garnered accolades such as GQ Best New Restaurants in US, Charlotte Magazine Best of Charlotte, Eater best restaurant designs of 2018 and more. Also Milkbread, an all-day counter service restaurant concept with 2 locations and 3 more in the works, that serves milk bread donuts, fried chicken sandwiches, bowls & salads. The much anticipated restaurant, Albertine, their first full service restaurant since 2017 is slated to open in late summer 2024.

Katy Kindred founded Kindred Studio in 2021 to serve as the group’s parent company for their growing restaurant projects, commercial and residential design, consulting, branding, photography, and more projects to be announced in future. She lives with her husband and their three children, Alba, Luca, and Gray, in Davidson. In her spare time she is an avid runner, reader, and traveler.