When the R&R Marketplace in Dellwood officially opened on Sept. 15, 2023, Cathy Jenkins, co-owner of Cathy’s Kitchen in Ferguson with her husband Jerome, told guests the restaurant would soon join the list of tenants.
“We are coming, and we can’t wait,” she said.
“And we are not just moving; our Ferguson location will be there. We might have a few different menu items here, but Cathy’s Kitchen will have two locations.
The Dellwood location officially opened on Wednesday June 19, 2024, Juneteenth, with friends, guests and many eager diners on hand.
They included St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, Dellwood Mayor Reggie Jones and Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones.
“The day has finally come,” Cathy Jenkins beamed on a Facebook post.
“We must have had 20 plumbers and 20 electricians come through here. I’m so glad we took our time to decorate.”
The décor includes art which depicts the Ferguson Uprising, a time when Cathy’s Kitchen Restaurant and Diner was new and then suddenly an invaluable part of the community.
As for the new Dellwood location “everything is new,” says Jenkins.
“There are new appliances, the kitchen is clean, immaculate.”
Cathy’s is also modern. It takes no cash, and all purchase must be made with a debit or credit card. All orders are placed electronically on a kiosk and “Plato” an automated robot helps clear tables.
The restaurant opened and 2013 and was quicky becoming a St. Louis favorite. the north St. Louis County location drew diners from throughout the region and was gaining rave reviews.
Then, on a hot Saturday August 9, 2014, afternoon Michael Brown was killed by a Ferguson Police officer.
Cathy’s Kitchen is just two doors from the Ferguson Police Department. It was ground zero for a militarized police presence and daily protests. Doing business was an impossibility as all sales to the restaurant stopped.
Realizing her predicament, Cathy Jenkins prepared all the uncooked food in the restaurant, put it on a cart and “rolled the cart up to the protesters.
In November, former St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch announced the Ferguson officer would not be charged with any crime. Riots and arson broke out.
According to Jenkins, to her surprise all the protesters she fed created a human chain around her restaurant and protected her building from damage. The next day, Cathy’s was the only business that could open for business.
Her kindness created a new popularity in the restaurant and people came from all over the world to dine at Cathy’s Kitchen.
Among those who dined there were actors Danny Glover, the late Harry Belafonte, Kevin Costner, singer Melissa Etheridge and former U.S. Speaker of The House Nancy Pelosi.
“When the smoke cleared and everybody went home, there was zero business happening,” Cathy Jenkins told The American’s Sylvester Brown in 2021. “It was getting to the point where we thought we would have to close.”
Etheridge’s visit turned into a genuine friendship that opened unprecedented doors for the Jenkins. Cathy was invited to be a celebrity chef on an Etheridge tour, Because of their connections to Etheridge, the couple was invited to the Grammys, and they returned in 2023.
Cathy’s Kitchen also was quick to respond to the COVID-19 challenge
Before the country shut down, Cathy’s Kitchen began pick-up and delivery services only. They focused on feeding kids, just as it did for protestors, for free and utilized the Internet to show off new dishes and staff antics aimed at boosting the morale of their employees, customers and anyone who visited their website.
That spirit and camaraderie is still part of the Cathy’s Kitchen menu.
“It ain’t no good time without you,” said Cathy Jenkins.
“And make sure you bring your appetite,” Jerom Jenkins adds.
Ironically, Bell, who defeated McCulloch to win the Democratic Primary in August 2018, and then the prosecutor’s office in November, placed the first order in the new Cathy’s Kitchen Dellwood location.
