Kenny B’s Cajun restaurant, on Hilton Head for 26 years, moving across bridge to Bluffton
As the south end of Hilton Head Island gets more crowded, one local restaurateur is looking for some elbow room.
Kenny B’s French Quarter Cafe will be moving across the bridge to Bluffton at the beginning of next year.
Chef Ken Ballard, owner of Kenny B’s, said renovations are already under way at a location in Bridge Center, across U.S. 278 from Moss Creek. The building was the former home of Thai Smile Cuisine, which recently made the opposite move to Hilton Head.
Kenny B’s has served locals and tourists Cajun and Creole dishes at its current location, 70 Pope Ave. Suite A, for about 26 years.
“It was a great location,” Ballard said. “I have no regrets down here.”
Still though, the building has its limits.
“We are lined out the door now,” Ballard explained.
“I’ve lived in Bluffon about 15 years, and I wanted a bigger spot and a newer spot.”
What’s changing?
The new restaurant won’t have outside seating, but it will have more room for tables indoors.
The Bluffton location also will make it possible to add delivery through services like Uber Eats and Door Dash and will make picking up takeout orders easier for customers.
Nothing on the menu will change in the move, and Ballard said the island restaurant will still offer its traditional Thanksgiving takeout service this year.
The new restaurant will be set up in a similar way to the old one, with customers placing orders at a counter.
What will change is some of the decor. The Hilton Head location has high ceilings and a large mural of a New Orleans scene.
“We are known for our big mural,” Ballard said. “That’s what I’ll miss. I’ll miss the tall ceilings.”
Still, in the new restaurant, Ballard is re-creating a bulldog-themed section to cater to its loyal University of Georgia fans, and there will be a New Orleans Saints-themed section as well.
The Hilton Head location will be open until the end of the year, and the Bluffton location will open as soon as possible after that.
Said Ballard: “We’ll definitely be open by Mardi Gras.”
At a glance
What: Kenny B’s French Quarter Cafe
Where: 70 Pope Ave. Suite A, Hilton Head
Hours: Breakfast 8:30-11 a.m., lunch 12:30-3 p.m. and dinner 4:30-8 p.m.
Phone: 843-785-3315
Website: eatatkennybs.com
This story was originally published May 25, 2023 at 11:52 AM.
