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Friends and family of Cowbell Kitchen co-owner Kaeley Annaliese “KK” Brady plan to gather from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 10 in Leesburg, Virginia to commemorate the life of the entrepreneurial 23-year-old woman.
The Fairfax, Virginia native died on May 3. A tipster tells Eater Brady went to the hospital after exhibiting “flu-like symptoms.”
A George Mason University graduate, Brady carved out a career for herself in the hospitality industry by partnering with Cowbell Kitchen founder Cheryl Straser. The two grew the budding business from a food truck to a farmers market fixture; they opened their debut brick-and-mortar location last fall in Leesburg, Virginia.
Northern Virginia magazine dining editor and restaurant critic Stefanie Gans described the self-styled shop as “an Instagram post come to life” — alerting readers to an a hearty bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich she encountered while there. “It’s hard to call this common combination artful or otherwise intriguing, but it’s a testament to craft and sourcing that something so pedestrian can rise above the quotidian to become truly memorable,” Gans wrote.
Supporters are raising funds to start the Love, KK Foundation, a non-profit projected to assist Cowbell Kitchen and other small businesses. At press time, contributors had already donated over $6,200 to the cause.
A visitation is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9 at Riverside Presbyterian Church in Sterling, Virginia (21631 Ridgetop Circle). The “celebration of life” is scheduled to take place at Faith Like a Mustard Seed Farm (42906 Lucketts Road) on Thursday, May 10. Per the event organizers, attendees should “dress colorfully.”
