About Us

Kitchen Proper is the brainchild of a partnership between husband-and-wife team Anthony Davis and Sarah Barany. The couple has 40 plus years of restaurant experience between them. Owning a restaurant was always a goal for the two of them. Tony is Executive Chef and Sarah is the Front of House Coordinator. Their experience and perspective perfectly complement each other, which ultimately led to them starting Kitchen Proper together in downtown Battle Creek, MI.

Tony and Sarah bought the restaurant in August of 2018 and rebranded and reopened as Kitchen Proper, right after Labor Day 2018. The name Kitchen Proper is inspired by the term “city proper”. The term is often used in bigger cities, e.g., “Detroit Proper” or “Charleston Proper”. The name is intended to invoke the feeling of being a part of a city. Battle Creek is experiencing a renaissance and Kitchen Proper is excited to be a part of the growth of the downtown.

Kitchen Proper is best described a “Rustic Urban Eatery”. The focus is on fresh, scratch made to order cuisine. The menu changes seasonally with dishes such as pasta, fresh fish, hand-cut steaks, unique salads and rotating entrees. There are nightly chalkboard features that showcase seasonal ingredients and the Chef’s creativity. There is always something new to try at Kitchen Proper!

We are truly excited to bring tasty, fresh food and excellent service to Battle Creek and all of Southwest Michigan. We offer local, fresh tasty fare and smiling friendly faces. We look forward to serving all of you in our kitchen.

Tony Davis started his career in the culinary field as most chefs do, in the dish tank during his high school years. After graduation he went to culinary school in Las Vegas, Nevada,at Le Cordon Bleu, where he graduated with honors. He was then offered a job as Chef de Cuisine at the Gull Lake Country Club in Richland, MI. This is where Tony honed his culinary skills and coincidentally met his future wife, Sarah Barany. After several years Tony was offered the position of Director of Operations for Continental Bakery in Battle Creek, MI. After nearly five years of learning the ins and outs of baking, he missed his true passion as a Chef cooking in a fast-paced restaurant. Tony accepted a position as Sauté Chef at Malia Bistro, which ultimately led to buying the restaurant that was to become Kitchen Proper.

Sarah Barany began working in various restaurants during her college years at Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Her passion for hospitality led her to the Gull Lake Country Club in Richland, MI. During her tenure at GLCC, Sarah learned about all things, hospitality, fine dining, wine and food knowledge and special events. This is also where she met Tony, and the rest is, as they say “history”. Sarah then worked for Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, MI for many years. Eventually Sarah left Bell’s and went full time at Malia Bistro (now where Kitchen Proper is) up until the time she and Tony bought the restaurant and rebranded to Kitchen Proper. Sarah is passionate about wine and special events which led to monthly Kitchen Proper Wine Dinners. Sarah intends to focus on bringing events, entertainment and education to downtown Battle Creek.

Chef Tim has been at Kitchen Proper since the Grand Opening! Tim got his start down the culinary path as a teenager in the dish tank at Schuler’s in Marshall, MI. He worked his way up the ranks at Schuler’s to eventually become Kitchen Manager and later return as Sous Chef. Tim left Schuler’s to become the Sous Chef at Malia Bistro. Tim then went on to become the Executive Chef of Addington Hills in Battle Creek, MI and The Cove Lakeside Bistro in Portage, MI. Chef Tim eventually came back and helped with Kitchen Proper’s Grand Opening. Tim is an integral part of the KP culinary team, with special focus on grilling, meat and fresh fish.