Black-owned local restaurant owner Neil Dukes strives to create a family-friendly environment for the Kent community with his restaurant Pit Stop Pub. 

“All my life, I’ve always enjoyed the silence after giving somebody food,” Dukes said.

The silent satisfaction after Dukes serves his customers is the inspiration behind the opening of his restaurant. 

Pit Stop Pub is currently the only known Black-owned restaurant in Kent. 

“I’ve always wanted to contribute to this community because this is where I’m from,” Dukes said. “I want this community to have a place they can be proud of, and I want to be one of the people who make this community proud.”

Dukes has been a Kent resident since middle school. He first became interested in culinary arts when a teacher suggested he enter a vocational culinary cooking and hospitality management program at Stow High School. 

After graduating high school, Dukes went on to earn his degree in hospitality management at Pennsylvania Culinary Institute. Dukes later decided to go back to school to gain culinary experience.

Dukes attended the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago and earned his culinary degree in 2015.

Dukes spent time working for Aramark’s Food Service at Kent State University, but when the university didn’t renew Aramark’s contract in 2021, he pursued his lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant.

Pit Stop Pub officially opened in April 2022 and is located in University Plaza off 164 Cherry St. Dukes wanted the restaurant’s location to represent the family-friendly environment he strives for. 

“Downtown is great, but it’s centered around drinking and partying,” he said. “I didn’t want that atmosphere, so I chose University Plaza.”

Dukes independently opened his restaurant with help from financial investors.

“I had some investors who helped financially, but when we are talking about investing time, energy and sacrifice into this place, it’s been me,” Dukes said.

Dukes wants his restaurant to be a place where everyone in the community feels welcome and appreciated. He provides entertainment like board games and karaoke nights.

Pit Stop Pub is open from 4-9p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 4-10p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 

“Kent, in a lot of ways, is a transition town — a lot of students and people are here, then they transition and leave,” Dukes said. “I just want people to take a pit stop, stop and have something to eat, enjoy some family, friends and life.”

Along with being a restaurant owner, Dukes serves on the board of Kent Parks and Recreation and gives back to his community by volunteering with Kent Social Services and his local church. 

“Whatever dream or goal you have, you have to fight for it,” Dukes said. “No matter how many times somebody says no, there’s going to be that one person that says yes.”

Chania Crawford is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].