KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — It's no secret that Kill Devil Grill is a staple in the Outer Banks. Almost a year ago, South of Kill Devil Grill opened in Nags Head. Both restaurants will be offering free meals on Tuesday for Veterans Day.
"I've met a lot of veterans here, obviously having the Coast Guard connection as well. There's a lot of people that retire in this area that have just a long standing history with the military, which is great. And so it's a way for us to even get more connected to the community," said Brett Babick, a managing director of Iconic Restaurant Group, which the two restaurants are part of.
Babick said the inspiration came from it being a tradition at one of the organization's fellow restaurants in Nashville, now becoming a company-wide tradition.
"This will be the first time, across our 15 units, as we grow our company, that all of our restaurants will allow veterans to eat for free on Veterans Day," said Babick.
Babick said this new tradition means even more because his son is currently serving in the Marine Corps. For him, making this a tradition is about much more than a free meal.
"My hope is to meet some people on Veterans Day and really thank them for their sacrifice. Would love to serve and honor you and say thank you again for your service, even more, thank you for your sacrifice, and we appreciate the great life you've afforded us here in this country," said Babick.
Any active duty military member or veteran will be able to enjoy a free entree from the menu at both Kill Devil Grill and South of Kill Devil Grill on Tuesday.
"They get their entree for free. They're welcome to come here for dinner and go to the South for lunch or vice versa. I think we'll see some people at both of them, which is great, and the more the merrier. We would love it if it was our busiest day of the year," said Babick.
It's a tradition the restaurants are excited to begin and continue for many years to come.
