This past Saturday we celebrated the official Grand Opening of Kickshaws Kitchen. It was nothing less than an amazing whirlwind of a day packed with so many people, things and animals! While most of the staff spent the majority of the day slinging burgers, baking bread, getting drinks and washing dishes (SO many dishes!), the pictures that we have seen from the day are simply heart warming.
Three years ago we certainly neve
r thought that Kickshaws would evolve into a restaurant. We wanted to open a market that would increase accessibility to local produce, meats, eggs, personal care and home goods as well as items that were hard to find in our area for those with dietary restrictions. Of course through building our market and inventory we found that there was a huge need for food options for those like my own family- a safe place to eat good food.
I alwa
ys get a little emotional talking about the people in our lives that have supported and helped us and then those who come and tell us how much they appreciate what we do. One Saturday we had a family come in to eat and after ordering they came to us to tell us that their child, now 6 years old, had never eaten in a restaurant before because he had such severe food allergies. She told us with tears in her eyes how special it was for him to eat a meal just like everyone else. THIS is why we opened Kickshaws Kitchen.
Thank you so much to everyo
ne who helped us get the Kitchen open. We had folks who worked their fingers to the bone disinfecting the kitchen with us, those who painted and patched walls, friends and customers who helped us build shelving and seating and of course those who just encouraged us on an almost daily basis. Opening a business is never an easy task, but once again, we are are blessed and truly grateful to have Fredericksburg support us in such a big way.
Here’s to many more days, weeks, months and years serving Fredericksburg Virginia.
When I was fifteen years old my best friend started to invite me to downtown Fredericksburg for the day. Her dad would pick us up and then drop us off on Caroline Street to wander around for several hours and we would bring a little cash to spend on food and shopping. The day would be spent popping in and out of shops like Corkey’s, the record shop (there was a record shop, I swear), R&R Antiques, Goolricks and many other shops- some still around but many gone.
In high school my best friend was a devoted vegetarian so our lunch options were really limited to the only place that served vegetarian cuisine: Sammy T’s. Even at 15 I still had a sore butt sitting in the benches but we didn’t mind because the place was covered in local art and unique decor and we were treated like adults and not like the children we were. We would sit and talk about the things that young teenagers talk about and fantasize about what our lives would be like when we really grew up. On one visit I remember us talking about the lack of food options in our home town for my friend and I decided that I would one day open a restaurant and make vegetarian foods just for her. (Wow, who knew!) Our visits, at least once a year, to Fredericksburg always ended with a meal at Sammy T’s.
Years later, after having two kids, a failed marriage and moving, I once again found myself back in Fredericksburg. This time it wasn’t for a day visit, but to live. I met my dear husband and we were married. He worked in Fredericksburg so it just made sense to move here. I was in the midst of chronic illness and searching feverishly for anything to help reduce my issues. I had decided earlier that year to remove gluten and casein from my son’s diet which greatly improved not only his health but behavior as well. Through that process I met my good friend Shirley who was running the King George/Fredericksburg Gluten Intolerance Support Group. We decided to meet in town to chat and she suggested Sammy T’s. Having been newly gluten-free, I was scared to death to eat in a restaurant but knew Shirley was the expert in this area. We both ordered crab cakes and enjoyed hours of talk about our lives, being gluten free and the kids. From that day on Sammy T’s once again became a safe place for me to go to eat in town and actually remained one of the only places that I never became ill.
I love Fredericksburg and all that this little city offers. Over the years it has changed so much and transformed into something new and exciting. Though these transformations we hang on to some of the things that have made the city what it has been for decades and Sammy T’s has certainly been one of those places. We are sad to see the restaurant close but are excited and hopeful to see what the new owners have in store for a spot that has held the hearts of many diners; vegetarian, gluten free and of course those who just like good food.
Goodbye Sammy T’s, we hope to see you again soon.
It has been one week since the Indiegogo campaign ended and we have lots of annoucenments! First and foremost, thank you SO much for all those who championed our cause. Without such amazing and supportive folks in this community we would never have opened Kickshaws to begin with, let alone planned on expanding for Kickshaws Kitchen. We raised a total of $3,421, just under 20% of the funding goal. Sure that seems low, but we did set the goal considerably high. We went back and forth on how much we should set it for and went for the whole amount because we wanted to be completely transparent with our supporters. So really, 20% isn’t terrible!
A number of folks have come to us asking if we would still take contributions after the Indiegogo Campaign ended. The answer is- of course! We would love your support. Through the end of June, we are still going to be honoring our supporters with the same prizes available through the Indiegogo campaign for any in-store donation. To check out those prizes go to the Indiegogo page here.
Slow Food RVA Microgrant
On May 17th, we attended GRAZE, a Slow Food RVA event at Origins Farm in Hanover Virginia. If you are unfamiliar with Slow Food, Slow 
Food is an international organization that is focused on growing and maintaining sustainable food sources, supporting local agriculture, consumers and our environment. They have a big focus on education, which makes Kickshaws Kitchen a perfect fit for this year’s Microgrant program. On the 17th, Kickshaws received a $1000 grant from Slow Food RVA to support the educational focus of the kitchen. Thank you SO much Slow Food RVA for all your support. Once we get Kickshaws Kitchen set up, we hope to get Slow Food FXBG going!
Fredericksburg City Economic Development Authority, JumpStart Grant
This month we were also awarded a matching grant for $10,000 from the City of Fredericksburg’s EDA JumpStart Grant program. This grant will help support a large chunk of the build out cost for the kitchen with our general contractor including a costly ventless hood. The city is excited about our plans for Kickshaws Kitchen and the continued development of the historic district and we are excited to be part of it all.
The Plan
This week we are in the throes of preparing for the ground-breaking of construction for Kickshaws Kitchen. With all our funding sources, we are at about 60% funded for the build , so if you do want to make a contribution it would help immensely. Our contractor is ready to get moving so we just need to give the go ahead. We hope to have all our ducks in a row by the end of the week and start the permit process either next week or the following. Because permitting and such can take time in Fredericksburg, we don’t want to anncounce a definitive timeline, but we are projecting completion by Fall 2015.
Again- THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the support as we work towards opening Kickshaws Kitchen! It is a new and exciting time for downtown Fredericksburg!
This past weekend we all packed up and headed over to the Spotsylvania Courthouse complex off of Courthouse Road in 
Spotsylvania, Virginia for the 150 Anniversary Re-enactment of the Battles of Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse. Having never been to a re-enactment, we were really excited to see what all the craze was about. Of course to start off, we really wanted to get to know what these battles were really all about.
We live right around the area of Spotsylvania known as “Wilderness” just east of the now preserved Wilderness Battlefield. You can’t really drive too far in our area without the reminders of the battle via historical markers, statues and monuments. As the battle re-enactment approached we really wanted to wrap our brains around what has been touted “the bloodiest battles of The Civil War.”
The Battle of Wilderness started with a reluctant Union Campaign moving east from Culpepper to attack the Confederate Army which was stationed in the protection of the thick forested wilderness. Unsure about attacking through the wilderness, the army pushed forward and in it’s first attempt failed miserably as they met with the Confederate earthworks. The battle ensued back and forth over May 3rd and 4th, finally ending when the Union pulled back after massive casualties on both sides. Though the Union suffered more casualties than the Confederates (over 20,000 losses), they push towards Spotsylvania Courthouse, they were undeterred because they finally had a strong leader in Grant to continue.
On May 7th, the Battle was for Spotsylvania. This past weekend we viewed the re-enactment of a battle that raged for 22 hours in torrential downpours and claimed a total of 17,000 lives. It was remarkable to see all the re-enactors engage in battle to display how just a small portion of the war played out. The folks who prepared the field built large earthworks (much as Gen. Lee, a former engineer, had created throughout the battles during the Civil War) along the crest of the field and the Union re-enactors maneuver in various positions showing attacks, retreats, and breaches in the Confederate line.
Both battles were inconclusive, leading to continued war that raged south towards Richmond. What is left behind are the reminders of this war that once tore apart our Virginia landscape. Today, walking through the parks and battlefields in our area, you can clearly see remaining earthworks, not only in the Battlefield parks, but even in woodlands and forest just around us. Our own backyard (literally) is home to an abandoned railroad that that served to move artillery between the Mineral area towards Fredericksburg and south to Richmond.
Right now, our kids don’t fully appreciate the immensity of the battles that took place here, but one day we hope that they really will be able to see and understand exactly how important the land we live on it and what history it holds. I, for one, know that the history that has been made here is part of what has built the fabric of our community and nation.
Thank you to all the wonderful staff, volunteers and re-enactors that traveled this past weekend to Spotsylvania and prepared for and cleaned up after this event. You all are truly appreciated!
-Kathy