'Chopped' Champion Brings New Restaurant To Morristown

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Food Network "Chopped" champion Kiersten Gormeley has a passion for food and a desire to increase market access to healthier food options, and she is now bringing that passion to Morristown.

Gormeley works as the head chef at Hoboken’s two Shaka Kitchen locations, the first of which she opened with her sister Krista Gormeley in 2016.

After spending a year in Hawaii and discovering fresh and affordable foods like poke bowls and acai, they were inspired to create easy access to delicious and nutritious food right here in the Garden State.

Their newest location will be at 62 South Street in Morristown.

"The location has been vacant for a few years now as the landlords were planning to use it for office space and to put offices around the existing retail space; however, those plans have shifted gears and we are now the new tenants at 62 South Street," Krista told Patch.

Shaka's recipes are all homemade, according to the sisters. They offer a variety of signature land and sea bowls, earth bowls, smoothies, tacos and signature breakfast items, all with a health-conscious twist.

As part of this philosophy, the restaurants offer foods that fit a range of dietary needs, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and plant-based options. In-house preparation also ensures that there is no added sugar or soy.

"We also are proud to be eco-friendly-- all packaging is compostable. Our bags are made from recycled paper. Since January 2023 we've composted nearly six thousand pounds of food waste and turned it into nutrient-rich soil," Krista said.

Although it is still early in the process, Krista told Patch that their plan is to open the new store in the fall of 2023.

Learn more about Shaka Kitchen and see restaurant info here.