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Darrell Cox is excited to announce his new culinary venture Kitchen South. The mobile kitchen will offer a variety of eats for both professional lunches and quick bites, along with larger catering jobs.

When asked how he came up with the idea to bring a food truck to Bainbridge, Cox said he has always loved cooking and coming up with recipes, and with the current momentum happening downtown, he thought now would be the prime opportunity to turn his love into a business.

“I just thought it would be the perfect fit,” Cox explained.

Cox also shared that when discussing the idea with Rick McCaskill, Development Authority Director, he learned a lot of the contractors who were working on job sites at the Industrial Park would be here on and off over the next two years.

“It presented a good opportunity with the timing,” Cox said.

Kitchen South will exclusively operate at job sites from Tuesday-Thursday and offer Cox’s hit smash burger recipe, along with other quick bites.

On Mondays, the kitchen will travel downtown and park by the Hook and Ladder and offer meals such as, sandwiches, soups and salads for professionals on the go.

“We are going to be reaching out to a lot of the professional offices, medical, financial to see if we can do pre-orders, because it can be difficult a couple hundred orders in an hour and a half window,” he said.

Both sectors of Kitchen South’s clientele can expect a delicious meal though, as Cox has hired former Southwind Plantation chef Billy Hatcher as the primary chef.

While Cox had not shared the details of his business venture with many people, he said his family and friends were excited and have had nothing but positive reactions.

Cox said the Health Department has also been extremely helpful during the initial testing phase.

“When I first started, I sent out an email, because I didn’t really know anything,” he said. “Not only did they respond, but they sent a long detailed email, helping me and making sure I had everything.”

One of the Health Department’s requirements is a home base for the food truck, which Cox has set up at the former John Johnson Elementary cafeteria.

“It ended up being a good thing, because for catering jobs we need bigger appliances to cook on anyway,” Cox said.

Due to supply chain issues, Cox has not been able to open Kitchen South just yet, but said the mobile kitchen will be driving through town by August 1.

Once open, operating hours will be from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Mondays-Thursdays.