NBA Baller Kevin Durant to Open New Restaurant in Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City’s Lower Bricktown entertainment district will be home to Kevin Durant’s first restaurant venture, KD’s, which is scheduled to open early fall 2013. Construction will begin following the groundbreaking ceremony held on Oct. 30.The upscale Southern cuisine restaurant will feature Durant’s favorites including chicken satay, popcorn lobster, honey-dipped fried chicken, center cut pork chops, blackened catfish stuffed with crab meat and shrimp, slow-smoked barbecue ribs, chicken and shrimp jambalaya as well as a variety of steaks, seafood and desserts. KD’s will also feature a complete wine list and specialty drink menu.”I am very excited to be opening my first restaurant in Lower Bricktown,” Durant said. “I look forward to spending a lot of time there with my fans and friends, and enjoying great food and live music. I want customers not only to enjoy incredible food at my restaurant, but to always gather for a great experience.”The interior will be warm and comfortable with a vibrant atmosphere. The restaurant will feature a walk-around bar and live music played by local and nationally known musicians on select nights. KD’s will seat approximately 320 people and will occupy approximately 10,000 square feet.Nestled between Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill and Harkins Bricktown 16 movie theater in Lower Bricktown, the restaurant will be built along the Bricktown Canal and will include an outdoor patio as well as a hookah room. KD’s is expected to be another popular destination point along the canal where water taxis carry visitors to various stops including restaurants, shops and nightclubs.”This new restaurant will undoubtedly be a hotspot for the Oklahoma City community, Thunder fans and tourists alike,” said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. “We are lucky to have a professional athlete like Kevin Durant who is helping make Oklahoma City a great place to live, work and have fun.”Lower Bricktown is an extension of Bricktown, which received a much-needed facelift in 1993 following a massive public facility enhancement project. Just steps away from Chesapeake Energy Arena, home of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Bricktown is a popular destination for both locals and tourists. Today, Bricktown together with Lower Bricktown are home to more than 50 restaurants, Harkins Theaters Bricktown 16, Bass Pro Shops, and nightclubs as well as corporate headquarters of Sonic Drive-In.The restaurant is being developed by Hal Smith Restaurant Group and Oklahoma City Developer Randy Hogan in partnership with K. Durant Restaurant Group, LLC. Joe Jungmann will serve as managing partner overseeing day-to-day restaurant operations. Jim Buchanan from Buchanan Management Group, LLC, consulted on the project. The Hal Smith Restaurant Group is a restaurant management company which owns and operates a variety of concepts in seven states with more than 50 locations.Durant is a professional basketball player with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA.