Laith Gondal

The Kingsbury is coming.

A restaurant inspired by my mother’s city, Peshawar, and everything it means to me.

Coming Fall 2026.

—

A year and a half. 64 restaurant and bar showings. 8 applications. 7 landlord rejections. 1 yes.

That's what it has taken to get here. Moving to another city to chase a dream doesn’t always look pretty, but progress doesn’t have to be pretty to be progress. After a year and a half of searching, I finally have my first opportunity to open a restaurant in New York City. And now that I'm here, I know the real work is only beginning.

So after a lot of consideration, I can finally say it out loud: my first restaurant will be inspired by my mother’s city, Peshawar. A place with a deep history and a food culture built around simplicity, tradition, and fire. I’m calling it The Kingsbury — my dream name for a restaurant.

The idea is simple: good food, good drinks, and even better service. A place for girls nights, dates, birthdays, anniversaries, work dinners, celebrations, or just a meal with your neighbors. We want to serve our community, our industry, and our neighbors.

This isn't just my restaurant. It's something I'm building for all of us. This is ours. This is yours. As a son of Peshawar, I feel incredibly fortunate to be in a position to bring a piece of my culture to Manhattan. This restaurant is my love letter to Peshawar, my family, and especially my mother. It’s being built by immigrants, run by immigrants, and owned by immigrants. That is who we are.

I know how privileged l am to have the chance to do something most people never get to do. I may only get to do this once, and I want to make it count. The dream is free, but the work isn't. We have a lot of challenges ahead of us, but I feel strength from my community, from my team, and from the people who came before me. I'm ready to run through a wall and build something that belongs to all of us.

Welcome to The Kingsbury.

- Laith