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 Unkle is 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.
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.
Honoring the Aunties and the Unks
Family 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…