MEET KEVIN:
Kevin Brown is the Owner and Head Chef of Nancy by SNAC, a beloved arts café and culinary hub in Baltimore’s Station North district. Known for blending food, culture, and community, Nancy by SNAC is more than a restaurant—it’s a vibrant gathering space that showcases emerging artists, fosters dialogue, and nourishes the city’s creative spirit. Brown’s vision has made the café a staple for both neighborhood locals and Baltimore’s broader arts community, serving as a gallery, venue, and incubator for cultural innovation.
Before becoming a celebrated cultural entrepreneur, Kevin Brown was widely regarded as one of the finest journalists in Baltimore. During his five-year tenure as Arts & Entertainment Editor at the Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper, Brown shaped cultural discourse with sharp insight, thoughtful coverage, and a deep respect for Black artistry. His editorials and features elevated local creatives and illuminated the intersections of culture, politics, and history. His journalism has also been published in The Baltimore Sun and other regional outlets, earning him recognition as a trusted and influential voice in the city’s media landscape.
A longtime advocate for Black literature and arts, Brown is also the founder of the National James Baldwin Literary Society, and the inaugural recipient of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance’s Cultural Innovator Award. Whether in the newsroom or the kitchen, Kevin Brown continues to serve Baltimore with excellence, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to community.
S.N.A.C.
“Downtown” Kevin Brown and his late parter, “Chef Bill” Maughlin, together created one of the anchors of the Arts district in Baltimore. In the early 1990s, Brown opened his first cafe, The Metropolitan Theatre Cafe at NIRVANA, in what was then known as Charles North. In 2006, Kevin and Bill opened the Station North ARTS Cafe Gallery on N. Charles Street, which has since morphed into the current restaurant on North Avenue that also functions as an arts space, and salon—and that’s salon in the classic sense of the word, meaning a gathering and discussion place for people from Baltimore’s arts, business, nonprofit, education, and media communities.
A Station North Arts Cafe Video from back in the day!
