Proud to serve you

The Kitchen Ink is a down home family friendly restaurant located at 741 Jennings Avenue, Hot Springs SD.  Providing delicious homemade food and a dining experience to remember, our mission is to provide a fun and enjoyable ambiance with delicious cooking. Our restaurant is owned and operated by a local artist, Maria March.  She has done many murals throughout town, including the one on Evans Plunge, the colorful buffalo across the street from this location to name a few.  She is also a very successful tattoo artist and has a parlor in a separate section of the building.   

Come and learn more about us!

The Kitchen Ink. building was built in 1920, as one of three Chevrolet buildings which were  located in Hay Springs NE, Crawford, NE and Hot Springs, SD.  In the early 1990's the attached service building roof collapsed and that building was demolished.  That area is slated to become a parking lot for the restaurant in the near future.   The main building, which was the showroom and office building, remained empty until purchased by Maria March in 2018.

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Maria March moved to Hot Springs in her teens, then attended college at BHSU in Spearfish SD where she obtained her Bachelors in Art with a minor in Computer Applications.  Moving back to the area in 201, Maria kept busy with playing music in a local band, airbrushing, commissioned art pieces and painting murals.   From 2014 to 2019 Maria taught Technology/Graphic Arts at the Hot Springs Middle School, 6th 7th and 8th grade.  She started tattooing 2014 as well, opening her shop Body Count Tattoo and has been kept busier than she could have imagined ever since.  

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In 2018 Maria purchased 741 Jennings Avenue and began remodeling.  It was bare and empty and had been abandoned since the mid 1990's.  the The building was just one giant hollow room having been stripped of all water piping, electric wiring and interior walls. With hard work and the help of many good people, Maria was soon tattooing out of her new location!

In 2020 there was a terrible fire and two local Hot Springs restaurants were destroyed.  Thankfully nobody was hurt, but this left a void in the community that needed desperately to be filled.  After much consideration, planning and soul searching, Maria chose to take action on the many suggestions clients had put in her ear; The building was perfect for an eating establishment.  

Maria split the building, moving the completely  separate tattoo shop to the back corner of the building with its own private entrance.  Then  the work on the restaurant began!  It finally happened the summer of 2023! The location has now become a unique and welcoming eating establishment known for tasty homemade meals that leave you satisfied and wanting to come back for more!

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The Kitchen Ink. is proud to provide a friendly, family oriented work environment for her employees.  None of this would be possible without them.   Maria focused the menu on healthy homemade food, and hearty meals she loved helping prepare with her grandfather as a child.  The menu also offers homemade baked goods, that are made fresh from the oven daily!  

Splitting her time between the restaurant and the tattoo shop, she prepares daily specials, baking, and prepping through day, then transitioning over to the tattoo shop with scheduled appointments for the evening.  

Maria loves that she still gets to pursue her artistic passions as well as provide a service to her community. We appreciate everyone that chooses to support us and we look forward to many years of service!