Life-Changing Food: How DV8 Kitchen Gives Second Chances in Lexington
Founded by Diane and Rob Perez, DV8 Kitchen is a bakery and restaurant that hires people in recovery from addiction. Named 2025 Small Business of the Year by Commerce Lexington, the social enterprise proves that second chances can be delicious.
Life-Changing Food: How DV8 Kitchen Gives Second Chances in Lexington
There are restaurants that feed your body, and there are restaurants that feed something deeper. DV8 Kitchen in Lexington, Kentucky does both.
A Mission That Starts in the Kitchen
Founded by Diane and Rob Perez, DV8 Kitchen isn't just a bakery and restaurant — it's a social enterprise built on the radical idea that people in recovery from addiction deserve real opportunity. Every employee at DV8 is either in recovery or has been directly affected by the addiction crisis, and the Perezes have built a workplace that treats that not as a liability, but as a strength.
The name "DV8" is a play on "deviate" — as in deviating from the expected path. For many of the staff, that path once led nowhere good. At DV8, it leads to fresh-baked sourdough, hand-crafted pastries, and a lunch menu that has Lexington lining up out the door.
From Humble Beginnings to Business of the Year
What started as a small bakery operation has grown into one of Lexington's most beloved eateries. In 2025, Commerce Lexington named DV8 Kitchen its Small Business of the Year — a recognition that validated what the community already knew: this place is special.
The award wasn't just about the food (though the food is exceptional). It was about what DV8 represents: a model where business success and social good aren't at odds. Every loaf of bread sold helps fund a living wage for someone rebuilding their life.
The Kentucky Connection
Kentucky has been hit harder than most states by the opioid crisis. In communities across the Commonwealth, families have been torn apart and livelihoods destroyed. DV8 Kitchen is a direct answer to that pain — not through policy papers or awareness campaigns, but through the simple dignity of a paycheck and a purpose.
"We don't hire people despite their recovery," Diane Perez has said. "We hire them because of it. They know what it means to fight for something."
What's Next
DV8 Kitchen continues to expand its catering operations and has become a training ground for culinary careers across central Kentucky. For the Perezes, the goal was never just one restaurant — it was a proof of concept that compassion can scale.
If you're in Lexington, stop by. Order the sourdough. And know that your meal is doing more than filling your stomach.
DV8 Kitchen is located in Lexington, Kentucky. Learn more at dv8kitchen.com.