Former owner of Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails plans a new restaurant in downtown Macon

Chelsea Hughes, the former owner of Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails, is ready to return to the downtown Macon food scene with a new restaurant.

Hughes is preparing to open J. Reid’s Tavern, a pub-style dining experience that emphasizes Southern-style comfort food.

Located along Cotton Avenue in a historic building, Hughes said she expects the new restaurant to open in December or January.

“I felt like creating a nice, open, casual, family-friendly ambience,” Hughes said. “It would feel familial and comfortable.”

Hughes is ready for something new

Hughes said that while she enjoyed her time running Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails, which closed in August, she felt it was time to move on to something new.

“I’ve never wanted to stop,” Hughes said. “(Kinjo) had run its course, it had been five years, we gave it a really good shot.”

Soon after Kinjo closed, Hughes and her partner were looking at commercial spaces downtown and simultaneously thinking about their next move. Hughes said she found the new space and came up with the cozy pub concept at about the same time.

The space is situated in an old brick storefront that used to be home to the Bibb Music Center. It features wide windows for plenty of light and a patio out back Hughes said will be used for outdoor seating and private parties.

“I came here to buy musical instruments in college,” Hughes said. “That’s really neat, to repurpose a space that already has so many memories.”

J. Reid’s Tavern will emphasize comfort food

Hughes said she and her partner settled on the tavern concept because they felt like downtown Macon could use a place that was casual and familiar.

The menu — which Hughes said will feature dinner time favorites like chicken pot pie and meatballs — focuses on comfort food. Many of the recipes come from her and her partner’s family kitchens.

“A lot of the recipes we are using are from our moms and grandmas,” Hughes said. “It was nostalgic for us as kids, and for us to make as adults.”

J. Reid’s Tavern will also serve beer and cocktails. Hughes said many of the cocktails she has planned will be familiar to former patrons of Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails.

While the beer menu is still being finalized, Hughes said she plans to emphasize local breweries in J. Reid’s selection. She plans on working with Piedmont Brewery and Fall Line Brewing Co., both located downtown, to provide a variety of craft beer.

J. Reid’s Tavern will also serve gameday favorites, such as Michelob Ultra and Coors, to encourage people to gather at the new eatery and watch football.

“I’m excited to have beer on tap because people love that, especially with football,” Hughes said.

The restaurant is still in the build-out phase, but Hughes said she’s already looking forward to getting back to serving Maconites delicious food in a welcoming atmosphere.

“I was looking for easily accessible, understandable food that will attract people time and time again,” Hughes said. “It’s what they’re accustomed to and it feels good.”