Macon’s Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails closing for renovations. Here’s when

Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails is about to get a major revamp.

The beloved downtown eatery will close for about two weeks at the end of August to undergo renovations and roll out a new and improved menu, said Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails owner Chelsea Hughes.

“We are taking an entirely new direction, but it’s still all the same,” Hughes said.

The restaurant will be redecorated with help from Michelle Garlington, owner and operator of Michelle Garlington Interiors, who Hughes has worked with to create Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails’ interiors since it opened in 2020.

Hughes said the spot will have a new, more colorful look with wallpaper, greenery, curtains, fresh paint and new dishes and glassware.

“Being that we are embracing a new identity, it only makes sense to try and redefine ourselves as dramatically as possible,” Hughes said.

The interior isn’t the only thing that’s changing, though. Hughes said Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails will also redo its food menu.

Hughes didn’t want to reveal too much and spoil the surprise, but said the menu will move towards light, health-focused fare that combines a range of culinary practices and traditions. She said she plans to release more information about the menu as renovations get closer.

“We’re looking to offer our customers a more light, health conscious, but still familiar kind of menu,” Hughes said. “That could look like a killer kale salad, it could be a brined pork chop cooked to perfection with a cinnamon apple compote, it could look like a tomato Caprese panini on a lunch menu.”

The cocktail menu and the Black Cat — Kinjo’s underground speakeasy — will remain the same.

Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails is scheduled to close for renovations on Aug. 25. While the final opening date is yet to be determined, Hughes said she expects to hold a grand re-opening sometime around Labor Day.