Honey Drop Kitchen: Honey's Kettle At Your Doorstep
While a lot can happen in twenty years, it seems even more can happen in a matter of months if the calendar reads 2020. For Vincent Williams and his family, there has been change the past twenty years, but two constants have always been devotion and tenacity that come with the name Honey’s Kettle.
In 2000 Vincent and wife, Arlene, opened the original Honey’s Kettle in Compton before opening their second location in Culver City in 2005. A few years later, a damaging fire occurred and then the 2008 recession hit. Yet through their dedication to service, the Williams family is not only celebrating their 20th anniversary as one of LA’s fried chicken staples, but have even figured out a way to expand their business.
When restaurants closed, delivery and curbside pick-up became the new normal. The Williams family launched Honey Drop Kitchen, a delivery-only location in DTLA, reaching even more Honey’s Kettle-craving Angelenos. Vincent and his family saw the restaurant shutdown as an opportunity to accelerate on an idea already in the works. Honey Drop Kitchen adds an eat-at-home dimension with more reach while maintaining the values and practices they have always believed in for in-person dining. While Honey Drop Kitchen isn’t a storefront operation, what has not changed is the love that is put into food whether it is a plate being put down in front of you or a bag being handed off at your door. You can order through major delivery apps and get the same quality, same comfort with their food now on your dinner plates.
“What keeps us excited is that we are transitioning from the point of struggling and fighting at all costs, being unwavering and now getting the opportunity to share all these gifts and lessons we’ve learned along the way through our food and through a personal experience like delivering something for someone to eat,” says Marques, Vincent’s son.
Some classic items to look out for include the three- or four-piece meals which feature any combination of leg, breast or wing and include one of Honey’s Kettles’ delicious biscuits, fries and a pickle. Another option, the premium kettle chicken sandwich which features a butterflied chicken breast fillet with the same crispiness and crunch that customers love.
“When all odds are against you, you double down on the product,” says Marques. Doubling down means figuring out exactly when to lift chicken from the kettle, giving biscuits those minutes to breathe before they are in the oven, using highest grade ingredients and a wet batter giving the chicken that distinguishing crackle.
Given the family’s tenacity and ability to adapt, it’s no surprise that Honey’s Kettle has come out on top. “It has become our life's work as a family and we love it,” Marques says. “It’s really powerful to overcome the level of challenges that we’ve experienced. The fire, being a self-funded company. Up to now where we have lines around the corner and people are loving our food and swearing by our product.”
Written by Victoria Crowe | Photography by Eric Cacioppo
