Grady T. Allred, Sr., started to work at The Carolinian Coffee Shop in downtown Winston-Salem in 1935. Around 1937, the original investors (T.K. Knight and his brothers-in-law, Thomas, Kenneth and William Wilson) decided to change the coffee shop’s name. Using their initials, they created the name K&W Restaurant. In 1941, Allred became K&W’s sole owner after acquiring the last remaining share from Thomas Wilson. A second K&W location opened in nearby High Point. Both restaurants flourished until December of 1951, when a fire forced the downtown Winston-Salem location to close for several months. After extensive repairs and restoration, the restaurant reopened in 1952 with a slight twist – it was now a restaurant/cafeteria combination. Eventually, the cafeteria style service became so popular, Allred converted his High Point and Winston-Salem locations entirely to cafeterias. Hence, K&W Cafeteria was born.
K&W is celebrating the 80th anniversary and remains a family owned and operated business. The strong family foundation established by Grady Allred, Sr. still lives in the hearts of his descendants. Our passion for K&W, our love of one another, and the livelihood of the over 2,300 individuals that we employ is a testament to the foresight and vision of our great-grandfather.
K&W Cafeterias is headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C., and now has 33 locations: 23 in North Carolina, 5 in South Carolina, 4 in Virginia, and 1 in West Virginia.
Front Row (left to right):
Tamara Melvin, Digital Marketing Director – K&W Cafeterias
Terry Barber, Director of Catering and Event Planning – Twin City Quarter
Rob Cox, Regional Vice President – K&W Cafeterias
Julie Long, Project Coordinator / Customer Service Director – K&W Cafeterias
Second Row (left to right):
Gayle Anderson, President & CEO – Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce
Adriane Griffith, Student – Glenn High School
Vivian Le, Student – Glenn High School
Third Row (left to right):
Rodessa Mitchell, Vice President, Education & Workforce Development – Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce
Jill Atherton, Vice President, Economic & Community Development – Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce
Dan Joyner, President – Image360
