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Nomatter where you live, it is unusual to find a business that has been around for 75 years and not only maintained itself, but has continued to grow. K & W Cafeterias, Inc. is one such enterprise.

With the country slowly recovering from the Great Depression and many still hurting from its effect, most people would think it an odd time to invest  in a coffee shop, but that is just what Grady T. Allred, Sr. did. Around 1937, the original investors (T. K. Knight and the Wilson brothers) decided to change the Carolinian  Coffee Shop to the K & W Restaurant, using initials from their last names. Allred continued to increase his shares of the business and became sole owner in 1941.

Allred soon  opened a second location in High Point. Family members were involved with the business early on. When a fire closed the Winston- Salem restaurant for several months,  Allred decided to make the change to a combination restaurant/cafeteria when it reopened. The cafeteriastyle service proved to be so popular that he converted both locations to cafeterias— hence, K & W Cafeterias was born. Allred, Sr. had found the right formula for success. Upon his death in 1983, his original cafeteria concept had grown to sixteen locations in  North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Today, the K & W Cafeterias are still family-owned and operated. It is the quality, service and value that makes K & W the place to go  for a good meal. “With our crazy schedules, I don’t always have time to cook,” said one diner. “But I still want my family to have a nutritious dinner. My children love the  choices, the food is consistently good, everyone is friendly and helpful and I get more quality time with my family. This is our go-to place.”

Read more on page 18 in the January 2011 Issue