“Eat great food, help great people,” said Jay Ferro, owner of Kyle’s Kitchen, repeating the slogan of his fresh grab-and-go American fare establishment. On a recent crisp Wednesday morning, I sat with Ferro and discussed his restaurant’s decades-long run, which, last month, led him to a new location in Storke Plaza in Goleta.
After graduating from UCSB, Ferro promptly jumped into the restaurant business with the opening of Silvergreens in Isla Vista. Later, when Ferro’s son Kyle was born with a brain disability, he was inspired to open a new restaurant to support the local special needs community. Over the years, Kyle’s Kitchen has raised more than $300,000 through partnerships with local nonprofits and community initiatives that have changed lives. They have also served more than 20,000 special needs children and families with their food.
Currently, Kyle’s Kitchen is partnered with the Grace Fisher Foundation, supporting their organization through proceeds, raising awareness for their cause, and an upcoming community art workshop.
Formerly located in nearby Hollister Village, Ferro decided to make the move over to Storke Plaza after that lease came to an end and he found the opportunity to try out a new location in a bustling Goleta plaza. They are also in the process of constructing an outdoor patio that will provide additional seating, and it is set to be complete in a few weeks. They also still have another Goleta location at 5723 Calle Real.
Serving burgers, salads, sandwiches, wraps, and their signature buttermilk chicken, Kyle’s Kitchen offers cuisine made fresh daily in their kitchen from organic ingredients. The chicken has always been brined for 24 hours in buttermilk and spices, but it is now also hand breaded and fried to order.
I had the opportunity to try it, and was very impressed by the tenderness and crispiness of the golden tenders, as well as a wide range of sour, spicy, and salty sauces to complement. They have two new sauces: the homemade honey mustard and chipotle crema, which were both excellent complements to the tenders. The homemade ranch and Kyle’s sauce remain popular as well.
Kyle’s Kitchen also recently began serving all-natural scoops from Tillamook, a farm familiar to Ferro, who grew up in Oregon.
Kyle himself is in the restaurant four to five times a week, helping around the restaurant and greeting customers. He has had the opportunity to meet and connect with many members of the community, and bring awareness to Kyle’s Kitchen’s important cause.
Kyle’s Kitchen is now located at 6831 Hollister Avenue, in Storke Plaza. Stop by to try their wide range of American cuisine and support a worthy cause.
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