Will Kingery: Local Chef and Restaurant Owner Dishes on The Food Scene in Winston-Salem
Walking into Silo Bistro and Bar, off Reynolda Road, one can find Will Kingery, the owner of the restaurant, working right alongside his employees. “When I was 16, I worked at Sonic,” said Kingery, “and I told myself I never wanted to work in another kitchen.” Years later, he has worked at nearly every restaurant in Winston-Salem, and owns four: Willow’s Bistro, King’s Crab Shack and Oyster Bar, Silo Bistro and Bar, and The Bar on 4th Street.
Kingery grew up grilling out with his father, and after a few years of pursuing other possible careers he found his way back to the kitchen. He started working at a restaurant in Greensboro called The Marisol, and they paid for him to attend culinary school and learn hospitality management.
Wearing a baseball cap, glasses, a comfy pullover and golf shorts, Kingery could pass for a patron at any of his establishments. “Hey, how ya’ doin’?” he says to one of his servers, greeting her with a warm smile.
He was the chef at both Noma, and 6th and Vine, but after being laid off, Kingery decided to take on bigger ventures. He and his business partner Norb Cooper had been discussing opening a restaurant, so they decided to act and purchased Willow’s Bistro.
King’s Crab Shack and Oyster Bar became a reality after years of Kingery complaining that he had to drive all the way to Clemmons to get oysters. A property had become available, and the idea to open an oyster bar and crab shack downtown blossomed.
Silo Bistro and Bar was previously owned by the employer of 6th and Vine and Noma who had fired Kingery, and when Wake Forest reached out and asked if Kingery was interested in buying the place, he had a hard time resisting.
Kingery talks about his restaurants with a notable fondness in his voice, as a parent would with their children.
With regards to The Bar on 4th Street, Kingery helped the original owner get it off its feet, but ended up buying the place, and cleaning up the once seedy pool hall in the process. The area previously drew a rough crowd, and after Kingery bought it, he received a phone call from city council members and the Mayor, thanking him for cleaning it up.
“Will is a great neighbor,” said Martha Albertson, 69, a local resident who lives in a building across the street from The Bar on 4th Street. “He gave me his cell phone number and said if the bar ever got too loud to let him know immediately.”
A native of Winston-Salem, Kingery loves this city. “It’s a great little town” said Kingery. “Over the past 10 years, the revitalization of Winston has just been phenomenal. We’ve got a lot going on with research groups, lots of construction and lots of new business; it’s something. I know Winston, because I grew up here. I know their flavors; I know their tastes.”
The food scene in Winston-Salem is expanding rapidly. As Kingery explained, there are many corporate chains going in, which are thinning out the labor force, and causing problems in finding good help.
However, the restaurants in this city band together like few other places do. If one restaurant needs something, like paper towels or printer paper, other restaurants will provide such resources with no hesitation.
“Everybody takes care of everybody,” said Kingery. “It’s a great restaurant community.”
Back in June of 2017, after a broken pipe and flood caused the restaurant to shut down for a month, Kingery brought on many of the employees of Finnigan’s Wake. A large portion of these employees still work part-time at Kingery’s establishments.
“I’ve worked at two establishments with Will and he’s great,” said Nicole Lassiter, an employee at Silo. “He is very understanding of life getting in the way of work, but is always professional.”
When Mike Rothman, the longtime owner of Skippy’s Hot Dogs was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2016, the owners of local establishments immediately stepped in. Kingery, along with the owners of Sweet Potatoes, Salem Tavern, Noble’s and several other venues, volunteered their time and resources to help Rothman run Skippy’s from the confines of his paralyzed state. After a year, he lost his battle with the disease.
They helped with everything from fundraising to running day to day operations, and working with food purveyors and air conditioning technicians.
Kingery caught his breath slightly and cleared his throat. “We knew it was the right thing to do, but it was really tough. I’ve never cried going to work, but for those couple of days, I did.”
He noted that the restaurants of Winston-Salem add important elements to the culture of the city. Kingery’s favorites are Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro, Finnigan’s Wake Irish Pub & Kitchen, Rooster’s – A Noble Grille, Bernadin’s Fine Dining, and The Basil Leaf Thai & Sushi Restaurant.
“You can go to Hanes Mall Blvd and eat at any corporate chain,” said Kingery, “but downtown, a lot of the restaurants are locally owned and operated. A lot of them are chef owners, and that brings creativity and good food quality. You’re not just going to a box that pumps out crap food. We have a lot of local farmers who are getting online and working with us.”
When asked what’s next, Kingery mentioned he and his business partner Cooper are looking to franchise King’s Crab Shack and Oyster Bar. One possible location would be the property next to Bad Daddy’s Burgers by Hanes Mall. They are also looking at expanding to Mooresville, Charlotte, Boone and Asheville.
Kingery noted that the key to success is surrounding yourself with good people and taking good care of them.
“It’s more like a family here,” said young Silo employee Courtney Boston, with a grin spread on her face. “We all love each other.”
Kingery remembered his days as a chef and reflected on the ego involved. “Now that I’m an owner I realize I couldn’t do any of this without my chefs, my managers, my servers and my dishwashers. Everybody’s important in this business from the top to the bottom.”