Jacksonville’s Naked Kitchen is one of 40 bars and restaurants to receive a national grant to promote sustainability and environmental innovation, according to a March 25 news release.
The $25,000 grant for the restaurant at 2336 N. Liberty St. in the Phoenix Arts & Innovation District came from Washington, D.C.-based Independent Restaurant Coalition in partnership with Chase. The partners’ IRC and Chase Innovator Award program provides $1 million in support for sustainability, workforce well-being and community impact, the release said.
The $1 million grant program supports ongoing efforts toward sustainability, workforce well-being and community impact. IRC was formed in 2020 to support independent restaurants and bars during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Naked Kitchen is owned by spouses Brian Nelson, a chef, and Alexandra Bowles, managing partner, and their business partner, chef Matt Johnson. It was the first tenant in the Phoenix District’s Liberty Building, one of several abandoned warehouses being rejuvenated as part of the mixed-use development in North Springfield.
The restaurant’s motto is “Cooking with Conscience,” a concept described by the owners as involving use of healthy ingredients and preparation, such as air-frying. It serves plant-based, organic and meat dishes.
The nakedkitchenjax.com site describes its food as “Western classics transformed with Asian ingredients,” and as “Asian American food, reinvented with edge, soul, and streetwise creativity.”
The menu includes kimchi grilled cheese, spicy chicken sliders, chorizo tacos, Kung Pao Brussels sprouts and chipped beef over a potato waffle.