1885 Grill Opens in Downtown Kennesaw

KENNESAW — For Kennesaw residents like Joy Doss, this week’s grand opening of 1885 Grill means one less reason to travel out of the city for a more upscale dinner.

“I’m thrilled that we have a place to come rather than having to go to Marietta or Acworth,” Doss said. “I love that you can make reservations and it’s a nice dinner, nice date night out place.”

The restaurant serves southern coastal food like shrimp and grits, fried flounder and a coastal crab cake sandwich as well as southern classics like fried chicken and collard greens.

Co-owner Fred Holtz calls the concept “a little low country, a little country.”

In addition to comfort food, Holtz said the restaurant offers some higher-end options like filet mignon, ribeye and steak frites.

“If you want to have a great steak and great cocktail, you can do that too,” Holtz, whose personal favorite is the ribeye, said. “We also focus a lot on wines.”

1885 Grill opened its newest location in downtown Kennesaw on Monday, marking the second location in Georgia and fourth overall.

As in previous locations, black and white photos of local history line the walls of the dining rooms, bringing together the old and the new.

The restaurant’s original location was opened by owner and founder Miguel Morales in Chattanooga’s St. Elmo Historic District in 2013 and the second in Ooltewah, Tennessee in 2019.

In 2023, local restaurateur Michael Schroeder partnered with Morales, who he met in the early 2000s while working for Carrabba’s Italian Grill, to open a third restaurant in Acworth.

There are almost a hundred years of restaurant experience between Holtz, Schroeder and Morales, Holtz said.

In April, the three owners purchased the Kennesaw location and, within 120 days, had the restaurant up and running.

Holtz even relocated to an apartment across the street from the restaurant six weeks ago for the business opportunity.

“I kept my home (in Gwinnett) because we have a son that’s going to be a senior in high school and we didn’t want to move him,” Holtz said. “I’ve been walking the streets, shaking hands and meeting people.”

Holtz said he’s noticed that there aren’t many restaurants in the area similar to 1885 and thinks an upscale option for dinner, especially one open Mondays, will be well-received.

“The real hope is really about sharing with the community,” Holtz said.

Although it’s the same restaurant, Veda Stapleton, executive assistant at the Acworth and Kennesaw locations and Morales’ goddaughter, said the two locations will have very different atmospheres.

“In Acworth, we have a really great problem where we have a massive restaurant but we still don’t have enough space. We wanted to create a little bit of a different ambience here,” Stapleton said.

She said the smaller Kennesaw location will mean a quieter space that’s more intimate for occasions like date nights or business meetings.

Stapleton also hopes they can play around with more craft cocktails and higher-end specials at the new location, which is difficult in Acworth due to the high volume.

“I’m hoping they can really find their niche and make it a little bit more elevated,” Stapleton said.

Holtz said within the next few weeks, they hope to open the second floor of the restaurant, where customers will be able to enjoy a small appetizer menu and elevated cocktail lounge on the rooftop.

Diner Colt Chambers, of Marietta, said he was a big fan of the Acworth location and was excited to have a location closer to him.

“The atmosphere is so fun (at Acworth) and it looks like the atmosphere here may be even more fun,” Chambers said.

Chambers ate lunch with Doss and Brittney Gray, of Smyrna, during the grand opening. The three of them ordered the steak frites, country Cuban sandwich with a side of green beans, chicken and sausage gumbo and the smoked salmon dip, which they all said they enjoyed.

Executive Chef Lauren McCormick, who works at both Georgia locations and is in charge of catering, said the menu consists of 1885 staples and basics but will grow from there.

1885 Grill is located at 2840 South Main Street in downtown Kennesaw, on the other side of the railroad tracks from Piedmont Bank Amphitheater. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., from Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. According to Holtz, these hours may change as they learn more about their customers.

For more information, visit https://1885grill.com/welcome-kennesaw or call 770-672-7794.