A brand new plant-based restaurant with protein options called Naked Kitchen is getting ready to debut in the Future of Cities’ Phoenix Arts & Innovation District Liberty Building near the historic Springfield and Eastside areas, located at 2336 N. Liberty St.
The new restaurant will lease about 2,700 square feet of space in an area that is being revitalized north of Historic Springfield and east of Main Street, according to Jacksonville Daily Record. Naked Kitchen is the latest project from chef Brian Nelson and his wife and managing partner Alexandra Bowles, as well as business partner and chef Matt Johnson. The ownership group expects to open the restaurant for breakfast and lunch in August 2024, followed by a dinner service launched the following October.
While the concept is a while away from opening, Naked Kitchen currently offers catering and operates as a pop-up in the area. When the brick-and-mortar opens, customers can expect various healthy options, including sandwiches, salads, and ancient grain and protein bowls. Other diverse offerings from the restaurant will include vegan eggs and plant-based proteins to house-cured pastrami sandwiches and kimchi grilled cheeses.
“We are going into a food desert,” Nelson tells JDR. “It is important for us to bring a fun, new concept to that area. We want to not be pigeonholed, but we have vegan and vegetarian options and protein options. One thing we are really trying to achieve is not using any processed ingredients. We want to have that balance in our restaurant. It’s still good food and makes you feel good. Food is medicine.”
