Who owns Kinky's Dessert Bar? New York City's latest dessert store is only for adults
In a city like New York, which is already home to some gastronomical delights, how does one attract attention? If you are August and John DeWindt, you open a dessert store that's meant for only adults. The couple opened Kinky’s Dessert Bar on (perhaps fittingly) February 14, 2022, in downtown New York, offering sweet treats, but only to adults.
At a time when stores are mostly in the news for unruly customers protesting masks, and outbreaks of violence, the news is certainly a welcome one. As we reported, violence isn't the only bizarre thing to emerge from the pandemic. In January 2022, an Argentinean woman was caught stripping and using her dress as a mask at an ice cream store in the city of Godoy Cruz.
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While there won't be any stripped at Kinky's, there are still plenty of other cheeky ideas and options for patrons. From suggestively named treats to pornographic magazines at the tables, Kinky's is certainly offering a fresh take on desserts. It's worth diving into the DeWindt's to learn more about how they stumbled on this novel idea.
Who owns Kinky's Dessert Bar?
The couple behind Kinky's are veterans of the restaurant industry. It's their third venture in the space, The New York Post reported. Natives of New York, the duo started John’s Juice at Smorgasburg in Brooklyn in 2017. Then in 2019, they opened Fluffy’s, offering Japanese-style pancakes in the same area. Alongside the three businesses, August also runs the popular blog 'There's Food At Home', which has also morphed into a TikTok account with 3.7 million followers, and a YouTube channel with nearly 10k subscribers.
Earlier, August was employed in the hospitality industry but decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship with help from her husband, John. Unlike August, John doesn't have much experience in the kitchen, but he's got plenty when it comes to logistics. According to his LinkedIn profile, John spent over seven years in inventory and logistics at Jetro Restaurant Depo, before he and August opened John's Juice.
So with their considerable experience and success of two other ventures, the couple decided to try something new in 2019, mulling a dessert store as an idea. It wasn't a smooth ride though, with the pandemic causing some headaches which have since been smoothed over.
Success from day 1
"We thought it would be really fun to bring to the city," August told The Post but acknowledged that not everyone was on board. Landlords were initially hesitant to rent space when they heard the concept, but as luck would have it, they were also desperate for tenants. With the Covid-19 pandemic shuttering thousands of stores, the DeWindt's were able to get a space on Orchard Street.
We "set out to combine two of America’s favorite things and bring them under one roof: desserts and sex!" the website says. It appears as if that was enough to attract people right from day one. "People have been lining up before we open," August said, adding, "Everything has been flying off the shelves." The shop is checking ID, so you will have to be 18 to enter, but when you do, you're in for quite a treat!
The vibrant pink-and-purple-colored shop is inspired by the 70s and 80s, with vintage Playboy magazines adorning the walls. There is also an S&M-themed bathroom, with the phrases "What’s Your Safe Word?" and "Talk Dirty to Me" very clearly visible. Tables also have pornographic magazines strewn across them. The adult theme also extends to the menu options. From 'Tease Me' to 'F--k me', and 'Spank me' to 'Do it anywhere', you'll find yourself picking from a variety of suggestively-named cupcakes, cookies, and waffles. In the future, the DeWindts also plans to offer wine and beer.