In Southwest Baltimore, a new concept is taking shape that blends food, design, and intentional living into a single immersive experience. Founded by Kenneth Watson,UNK’S by The Rich Unkleis not simply a restaurant concept. It is a vision rooted in culture, legacy, and the belief that spaces centered on care and community can redefine what luxury looks like in Baltimore.
Watson’s journey into food began long before UNK’S opened its doors. While attending law school, he launched his first food business after witnessing how preventable health challenges were impacting his family and community. That experience reshaped how he understood food, not just as nourishment, but as memory, identity, and responsibility. Over time, his work evolved from meal preparation to health technology and design, eventually converging into what would become UNK’S.
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Founded in 2025, UNK’S was intentionally established in the heart of Southwest Baltimore as part of a larger effort to reimagine how legacy and luxury can coexist in historically overlooked neighborhoods. Watson describes the concept as the intersection of Southern hospitality, cultural storytelling, and intentional living.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}}Honoring the Aunties and the UnksFamily and community are at the core of UNK’S. Watson grew up surrounded by Aunties and Unks, elders and neighbors who carried culture through their kitchens, stories, and quiet acts of care. From watching his mother and aunts turn simple ingredients into unforgettable meals to learning pride and generosity from the men who modeled how to take care of people without saying a word, these lessons shaped how he approaches both food and business.
UNK’S is named in honor of those Unks and Aunties. It celebrates the people who made every gathering feel like home and passed down hospitality as an inheritance. In a city rich with history and heart, Watson sees UNK’S as a continuation of that legacy, creating a space where people feel welcomed, fed, and celebrated.
UNK’S is designed as a cultural luxury destination defined not by exclusivity, but by intention and care. Phase one of the concept is a modern Southern bistro serving dishes that honor heritage while embracing creativity and balance. The menu reimagines traditional flavors through thoughtful preparation, offering elevated takes on Southern classics that reflect both history and innovation.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 90px;}}Food is only one layer of the UNK’S experience. The full vision includes a boutique guesthouse, cooking classes, and curated cultural events designed to reconnect people to themselves and to one another. Every detail, from the atmosphere to the plate, is meant to tell a story about belonging, pride, and restoration.
What sets UNK’S apart in Baltimore’s dining landscape is its focus on experience. It is not just a place to eat, but a place to feel.
UNK’S is designed to serve as both a destination and a model for cultural and economic renewal in Southwest Baltimore. Watson is committed to hiring from within the community and providing training and mentorship that create lasting career pathways in hospitality, design, and wellness.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 90px;}}Beyond employment, the vision includes programs focused on financial literacy and homeownership, ensuring that as the neighborhood grows, residents can grow with it. Through partnerships with local chefs, artists, and makers, UNK’S will showcase Baltimore’s creative excellence while circulating resources back into the communities that inspire the work.
Watson describes UNK’S as a cultural anchor. A space where people can gather, create, and build something sustainable together.
Over the next several years, Watson sees UNK’S expanding into a full ecosystem centered on food, rest, and culture. From the bistro to the guesthouse to educational programming, each phase is designed to deepen community connection and create long-term impact.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-4{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-4{min-height: 90px;}}“I don’t just want to open a restaurant,” Watson shared. “I want to build something that feeds people, employs people, and allows them to thrive as their neighborhood evolves.”
At its core, UNK’S is a blueprint for what Southern luxury can look like when legacy, community, and ownership are placed at the center.
When guests experience UNK’S, Watson hopes they take away more than a good meal. Each dish carries a story of heritage, pride, and care. His goal is for people to feel seen, welcomed, and reminded that this table was built for them.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-5{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-5{min-height: 90px;}}How to Contact UNK’SFor inquiries or more information, contactKenneth Watsonatinfo@therichunkle.com.
GBUL staff and participants. Photo Credit Stephen HopkinsAbout This SeriesThis feature is part of a collaboration between The Baltimore Times and the Greater Baltimore Urban League. Over the next few months, The Baltimore Times will spotlight businesses that participated in GBUL’s Restaurant Accelerator Program (RAP), sponsored by the Pepsi Foundation. Through the program, eight businesses were awarded a total of eighty thousand dollars in grant funding and received free business coaching to strengthen their operations and community impact. For more information about RAP, visit GBUL.org.
