K&W Cafeteria closing permanently after being in business since 1937

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — K&W Cafeteria is abruptly closing its doors after 88 years in business, according to the website.

“K&W has always been more than a restaurant – it has been a gathering place, a home for Sunday traditions, and a warm table for millions of families across generations. We are deeply grateful for every guest who walked through our doors, shared a meal with us, and made us part of their lives,” wrote the chain on Facebook.

The southeastern food chain, which opened its first location in Winston-Salem in 1937, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection back in 2020. According to its social media pages, K&W had eight restaurants located in North Carolina, with five of those situated in the Triad.

Falcon Holdings LLC. a restaurant management company based in Texas, owns K&W.

WFMY News 2 sent reporters to several K&W locations around the Triad on Monday to get reaction from workers and community members. 

The general manager at one of the locations in Winston-Salem said he felt awful for his employees. Just a few weeks ago, he said he met with all of them as a group and told them the location was performing well.

“I looked them dead in the face and said we were doing good and we were going to be great,” he told WFMY News 2. “And now look … My last words were a lie.”

A former employee at the Friendly Center location said over 300 employees lost their jobs across 16 different locations suddenly Monday. 

Marthia Liggins has been working at the restaurant for the past four years. She thought her job was pretty secure until she got a call Monday morning instructing her to come and gather her things and that the store was closing. 

Liggins and Faith Adkins both worked at the K&W location at Friendly Center in Greensboro. Both said they were caught off guard by the news.

“We didn’t get to see everybody. We only got to see the ones that were here,” they told WFMY News 2. “I made a few phone calls and told a few people that they don’t have a job, and they said, ‘Stop joking.’ And I said, ‘No, all of K&W is closed.’ A lot of them didn’t even get phone calls.” 

Liggins feels the company could have done a little better job at telling them and giving them a heads up. 

Longtime Greensboro resident Susanna Albright drove to the Friendly Center location immediately after hearing the news of the restaurant’s closure.

“I stopped what I was doing, and I drove to my beloved,” exclaimed Albright. 

Albright recalled what she will miss most. “The lima beans, specifically, and the chocolate cream pie. My boyfriend will miss the fried chicken … Coming through the line, I’ve seen the same faces there forever, seen the same people.”

Ron Woodley drove to Greensboro from Asheboro to eat a late lunch on Monday, only to find its doors locked when he arrived. The restaurant holds a special place in his heart.

“I think K&W’s been here since the 30s,” Woodley said. “I was born in 1943, so I remember coming up with my mom when I was a little kid. I brought a parakeet one day and it got loose in the restaurant, so that kind of shook up everybody. But a gentleman finally caught it and put it back in the cage.”

Dax Allred, grandson of K&W founder Grady Allred Sr., shared the following statement with WFMY News 2:

While we are heartbroken to hear the news, the Allred family is forever grateful to the generations of dedicated team members and loyal customers who made K&W an iconic brand for over 80 years. Although the K&W history is now complete, long live the countless memories of families and friends coming together over a meal at their local K&W Cafeteria. I will miss that chocolate cream pie!

Greensboro mayor-elect Marikay Abuzuaiter said K&W cafeteria has always been a mainstay in the community. 

“While I’m not aware of the reasons they are closing, it is always sad to see any business close, as it always affects those who work there the most,” she said.