Kingbird and the Ordinary aims to build community around the table

Kingbird and the Ordinary officially opened Wednesday in downtown Three Rivers, bringing a farm-to-table brunch restaurant and communal dining concept to 45 N. Main St. 

Owned and operated by Chef Ken Miller and his wife, Ashley Miller, the restaurant combines two connected concepts under one roof: Kingbird, a daytime brunch and lunch restaurant open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday, and The Ordinary, a reservation-only monthly dinner series focused on seasonal multi-course dining experiences.

The restaurant opens in a location that has seen several businesses come and go in recent years, most recently the Farrand Hall Diner before the company announced its closure and sale. But Miller says he viewed the building’s restaurant-ready setup as an opportunity rather than a warning sign.

At the heart of the restaurant, Miller said, is a focus on approachable food made with local ingredients from Southwest Michigan and the broader Great Lakes region.

“Our goal is to create an experience that’s equal parts delicious, familiar, exciting and welcoming,” the restaurant states in its opening materials.

Miller and his family moved to Three Rivers earlier this year while working with Farrand Hall, initially expecting to build a long-term future with the company. Those plans changed quickly after the business closed, but the family decided to remain in the area and open a restaurant of their own.

“When the decision was made to close the diner, there was a lot of uncertainty and instability,” Miller said. “We had just moved our seven-year-old daughter here, she was starting to make friends and settle in, and we realized if we wanted to stay in the area we needed to jump on the opportunity.”

Miller said the business is intentionally being built conservatively, with he and Ashley handling much of the work themselves.

“Everything is built on a pretty conservative model,” Miller said. “We’re choosing to put ourselves into it on the ground floor and build it from there rather than starting with really high expectations, building a big team, and putting a ton of money into it.”

Ashley Miller manages the front of house operations while Ken Miller leads the kitchen. The family-centered approach also shaped the restaurant’s name and overall philosophy.

The name “Kingbird” comes from the eastern kingbird, a bird Miller frequently watched near his former home in Flint Township. He said observing the birds became part of his daily routine and inspired the restaurant’s identity.

The “Ordinary” portion of the name references historic “ordinary houses” of the 18th century, tavern-style gathering places where travelers shared fixed meals together at scheduled times. Miller said the concept inspired the restaurant’s communal dinner series.

“The word ‘ordinary’ doesn’t really mean the same thing now as it did historically, which we think is a little tongue-in-cheek,” Miller said. “We take what we do very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We want people to feel comfortable, and we want it to be a meeting place.”

Kingbird serves brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday with no reservations required. The menu includes breakfast plates, sandwiches, salads, and seasonal dishes using ingredients sourced from local farms and producers whenever possible.

Miller said the menu is designed to balance recognizable comfort food with opportunities for customers to try unfamiliar ingredients and preparations.

“We kind of look at it as 80% recognizable and 20% something to discover,” Miller said. “We want to build trust with people first through really thoughtful versions of things they already know.”

Menu items include deviled eggs, tempura-fried asparagus with chive mayo, house-made Caesar salad, short rib pastrami sandwiches and breakfast plates featuring bacon and sausage sourced from regional producers. One larger-format option includes a communal fried chicken and waffles meal designed for sharing among groups.

Miller said affordability was also important while planning the restaurant.

“My wife and I are from the Flint area, and neither of us come from especially well-off backgrounds,” Miller said. “We wanted to make sure there’s an element to what we’re doing where people feel welcome and feel like this is a space for everyone.”

The restaurant’s more upscale counterpart, The Ordinary, will feature synchronized multi-course communal dinners served at scheduled monthly events. Guests will be seated together and served the same seasonal menu focused on regional ingredients and minimalist preparation.

According to the restaurant, reservations are required for The Ordinary and dinners begin promptly at 6 p.m. The first summer seating date will be June 13 at 6 p.m, tickets are available for purchase on the website.

Miller said the menus for both concepts will continue changing throughout the year based on what ingredients are locally available.

“The biggest thing we’re trying to communicate is that the menus will transition with the seasons,” Miller said. “When we get into fall, you’re probably not going to have strawberries on your pancakes.”

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.