A new meat-and-three restaurant is open on Hargrove Road in the spot that used to house a branch of Hooligan's Mediterranean restaurant.

King's Kitchen opened on July 1st and serves lunch five days a week, but you might not have known it -- owner and operator Otis King says they've been relying on word of mouth to bring customers in to the diner instead of running a traditional marketing campaign.

At the center of King's business philosophy is the idea that all people matter, and that while they're in his restaurant, they should feel at home.

"I think everybody is someone, they're somebody, and I feel that we should just give everybody top service and give them good food," King said Wednesday.

Like many meat-and-threes, the new restaurant has a rotating menu featuring different dishes each day of the week. King said they're becoming know for their huge hamburgers, spaghetti casserole and several chicken dishes, including fried chicken, chicken and dumplings and chicken pot pie, all served with traditional sides and at reasonable prices.

King is the long-time owner of K&K Cleaning Services, but said his wife Willow has been involved in preparing food in some way or another for 20 years, and ultimately they decided there was a need for a traditional meat-and-three on this side of the Black Warrior that they could fill.

"We want to look out for the business people around here, people who want to have a good, healthy lunch and go back to work, go about their day and have a happy stomach," King said.

King's Kitchen is open at 501 Hargrove Road Monday through Friday from 10:30 until 2:30. King said he is considering expanding hours on Thursday and Friday but hasn't settled on whether to make that move or what it would look like. One thing he knows for sure -- he'll not be opening on Sundays.

"So many people are asking us to open on Sunday, but we aren't going to do it," King said. "Matthew 6:33 says 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness' and all that other stuff will be added to you. Even though we probably need the money  more than anything right now, I think the Lord will bring us through alright."

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