MawMaw keeps it kozy in kitchen

Williams pulls homemade cornbread out of the oven. Photo by Shelley Smith, Salisbury Post.

Denise "Mawmaw" Williams' famous club sandwich. Photo by Shelley Smith, Salisbury Post.

Williams makes four cheeseburgers all the way. Photo by Shelley Smith, Salisbury Post.

June Ramsey enjoys a house salad and baked potato. Photo by Shelley Smith, Salisbury Post.

By Shelley Smith

ssmith@salisburypost.com

MawMaw’s Kozy Kitchen, in the Frank

lin community off U.S. 601, only has enough dining space to seat 15 people, but the menu offers a lot more.

Drinks come in glass jars full of crunchy ice, and tables are covered in checkered tablecloths.

“MawMaw” is owner Denise Williams, and she is the establishment’s only cook, grilling up as many as 40 hamburgers and hot dogs a day. She also makes several pans of homemade cornbread and desserts each day, as well as plate specials such as grilled hamburger steak with brown gravy and grilled onions — all in a kitchen the size of a bedroom.

“It’s definitely cozy,” Williams said.

Williams, who has been cooking her entire life, decided to help out her pastor when he owned the The Kozy Kitchen. When he decided to sell, Williams stepped in.

“I was going to name it ‘Neesie’s Kozy Kitchen,’ ” Williams said. “But my grandson said, ‘No, MawMaw, call it MawMaw’s Kozy Kitchen.’ So I did.”

Williams said she’s always been drawn to the kitchen.

“It just comes naturally to me,” she said. “I enjoy serving the public. It makes me feel good.”

Although she has always been a favorite cook in her circle of friends and family, Williams said the success of the restaurant was because of the Lord.

“I think the timing was right,” she said. “And everything is in the Lord’s hands anyway. If the Lord’s not in it it’s just not going to work.

“He blesses us it seems like every week with more and more business.”

Williams’ desserts are her favorite thing to make, and she always has some of her favorites — pineapple upside down cake, Hershey bar cake, lemon pound cake — on hand. And she said she especially likes to bake her all-time favorite dessert — Hawaiian sunset cake.

“It’s very good, if you like that sort of thing,” she said. “It’s an orange cake with coconut, pineapple, sour cream and Cool Whip.”

MawMaw’s Kozy Kitchen serves up daily specials like pintos and cornbread for $2.49, a flounder plate with hush puppies, french fries, slaw and tea for $6.99 and country fried steak with two vegetables and tea for $5.99.

Vegetables are mostly made from fresh ingredients, and you can get anything from squash, okra, mashed potatoes or local favorite — turnip greens.

“Everybody loves the greens,” she said.

On Saturdays, Williams runs a popular special — buy one footlong hot dog, get one free. On “Wacky Wednesday” Williams offers hot dogs for $1.

She also has salads and baked potatoes for the lighter fare, and kids and senior citizens can order smaller portions off of a separate menu.

“There’s really a little bit of everything here,” she said.

MawMaw’s Kozy Kitchen is located at 5550 on Hwy. 601. It is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Diners can also get meals to-go via a drive through, and free delivery is offered to businesses with orders of $15 or more.

Fore more information, contact Williams at 704-647-9807.

Contact Shelley Smith at 704-797-4246.