Kings Island Dining Ideas

[CartersCoasters]

Post all your ideas for Kings Island dining locations here!

[Orion-XL200]

Not sure exactly what you are wanting....but we talk about the dining plans and food here: 

 

 

[WoodVengeance]

1 minute ago, Orion-XL200 said:

Not sure exactly what you are wanting....but we talk about the dining plans and food here: 

 

 

I think he was asking about what new type of restaurant(s) could come to the park.

[disco2000]

I thought it was already confirmed a Cheesecake Factory and Burger King 

[WoodVengeance]

I've had the idea of a "Farmhouse Kitchen & Grill" style BBQ restaurant across from Rivertown bathrooms. There would be a large outdoor seating area with a small bandstand, and have the Diamondback splashdown be the backdrop of it all.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

If they're going to put in a new restaurant, I've got my eyes set on something going in the KillMart building with indoor seating, some outdoor seating along the KMAA fence, and a new kitchen and serving area added onto the back of the building. There's enough space for it and it would activate that area of the park more. Give the inside some good Victorian-ish decorations and it could even bring some of those vibes back to Coney Mall (lost with the removal of Coney Potato Works and the old ICEE stand). 

Or maybe a new quick-service/refresh station either where The Beast Canyon Cold Drinks stand used to be (you could put a bandstand across from it), or on the side of the path just past Diamondback's train shed. Make it bigger than the Shooting Star Cafe.

A larger Brewhouse-style indoor restaurant could fit in the Saltwater Circus plot and be very useful for Winterfest. 

In all reality, Chicken Shack could have its dining areas enclosed (like was done at Kings Dominion) and a new quick-service location with better flow can replace the Ice Scream Zone if Action Zone ever finally gets redone. 

[I...am SteVe]

How about a Coke Freestyle stand that isn't always closed or crowded?

On a more serious note, I'd like to see a sit-down dining location in Area 72, if they have room for it. They could call it the Mission Control Café and have pictures of all their old 'flight tests' on the wall, and it would have a bunch of random sci-fi memorabilia decorating the walls. Toward the back, it would have a small NASA-esque control room with screens showing the current position of the Orion test vehicle. I don't know what it would serve, though... 

[IndyGuy4KI]

On 7/18/2025 at 8:27 AM, I...am SteVe said:

How about a Coke Freestyle stand that isn't always closed or crowded?

On a more serious note, I'd like to see a sit-down dining location in Area 72, if they have room for it. They could call it the Mission Control Café and have pictures of all their old 'flight tests' on the wall, and it would have a bunch of random sci-fi memorabilia decorating the walls. Toward the back, it would have a small NASA-esque control room with screens showing the current position of the Orion test vehicle. I don't know what it would serve, though... 

Cool idea.

I invision a Farmhouse Kitchen like at CP going into Action Zone during its next reno/expansion. 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

My only issue with putting in another Farmhouse Kitchen-style restaurant is that, at its most basic form, it's just a rustic Coney Bar-B-Que/Island Smokehouse. I wouldn't mind a new dining location with that setup, but it would be nice to have another location with permanent indoor seating. 

Make the building bigger and put some tables inside of it, and it could be really nice. 

[shark6495]

On 7/17/2025 at 11:55 PM, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

If they're going to put in a new restaurant, I've got my eyes set on something going in the KillMart building with indoor seating, some outdoor seating along the KMAA fence, and a new kitchen and serving area added onto the back of the building. There's enough space for it and it would activate that area of the park more. Give the inside some good Victorian-ish decorations and it could even bring some of those vibes back to Coney Mall (lost with the removal of Coney Potato Works and the old ICEE stand). 

Or maybe a new quick-service/refresh station either where The Beast Canyon Cold Drinks stand used to be (you could put a bandstand across from it), or on the side of the path just past Diamondback's train shed. Make it bigger than the Shooting Star Cafe.

A larger Brewhouse-style indoor restaurant could fit in the Saltwater Circus plot and be very useful for Winterfest. 

In all reality, Chicken Shack could have its dining areas enclosed (like was done at Kings Dominion) and a new quick-service location with better flow can replace the Ice Scream Zone if Action Zone ever finally gets redone. 

Have I hit the age where I remember that being an arcade? To me it was always the other arcade (unless my mind is failing me too)

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

It was an arcade up until about 2010-2014 when they emptied the arcade and turned it into KillMart. If you've seen old photos from the big Coney Mall expansion, its the building with the big and really cool "SKEEBALL" sign on it. The big garage door is closed on the 2011 Google Street View capture, so I don't know what it was used for during that time between the arcade and KillMart. I also thought Skeeball Court would be a good name for that restaurant for the nostalgia factor, but the way the company is going seems like anything new can only be a dream.

[shark6495]

On 7/21/2025 at 10:40 PM, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

It was an arcade up until about 2010-2014 when they emptied the arcade and turned it into KillMart. If you've seen old photos from the big Coney Mall expansion, its the building with the big and really cool "SKEEBALL" sign on it. The big garage door is closed on the 2011 Google Street View capture, so I don't know what it was used for during that time between the arcade and KillMart. I also thought Skeeball Court would be a good name for that restaurant for the nostalgia factor, but the way the company is going seems like anything new can only be a dream.

Thank you. The other day walking at the park I was thinking there used to be a Skee Ball arcade building and thought maybe I just really lost my memory. Wasn’t there also a metal turning game where you had to move a metal circle on or off of it?  
 

any who here’s a link to a 2017 forum post about it: 

 

[Joshua]

I'd be happy with a corn dog stand with those giant ones you used to (still can?) get at the carnival.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I'd love to see if Kings Island could incorporate a replica of the Moonlite Gardens building from Coney Island somewhere in the park. My first thought is that it could be a big new indoor dining location, called the "Moonlite Gardens Dining Hall". It could have an indoor VIP lounge on the second floor (accessible via stairs and an elevator via an outside entrance) and a lot of tables inside and outside the building. Maybe it could have either a cafeteria line service like Hugo's at Cedar Point or a better version of the table service-ish experience found at the Miami River Brewhouse. 

It could be a nice addition for the Saltwater Circus plot or a somewhat extensive project to take over the KillMart building in Coney Mall. Kings Island desperately needs another indoor dining location and this would bring one more thing from Cincinnati's Coney Island into the park that it inspired. 

[cdubbs727]

Personally, I think Kings Island should better utilize two locations that have been used better in the past for food: 

 

1.) The obvious is to reopen International Restaurant. I know there are logistical issues, but we're blue-skying here, right? Back in the day, it was a great way to take a break from the heat and enjoy a nice meal (steak!) with a great view. I'd love it if they reopened it. Barring that, I've always thought that rather than put a roller coaster in the old Vortex plot, they should put a mini land, maybe complete with a really nice restaurant that offers a nice view of the other side of the park or has some sort of scenic view incorporated (maybe have it face The Beast). Kings Island needs at least one good sit-down, fancy-ish dining experience. 

2.) Rehaul the Festhaus. Get rid of the cafeteria lines, Panda Express and the crappy pizza. Use the stage and turn it into a dinner theater experience, maybe even with wait staff. Or keep the cafeteria style but make it truly international themed and make the shows there ones that are can't-miss attractions. Years ago, they had ice skating shows in there and it truly felt like an event. Treat the Festhaus like the gem it used to be, not just a food court/air conditioned holding pen. 

3.) I think the park's also missing a really good sit-down, indoor family restaurant in Planet Snoopy (not sure where it could go, though). Kids get hot and tired and need extended time to sit. A good pizza/burger/chicken wings joint in Planet Snoopy with air conditioning and a fun atmosphere would really help. 

[CartersCoasters]

2 hours ago, cdubbs727 said:

Personally, I think Kings Island should better utilize two locations that have been used better in the past for food: 

 

1.) The obvious is to reopen International Restaurant. I know there are logistical issues, but we're blue-skying here, right? Back in the day, it was a great way to take a break from the heat and enjoy a nice meal (steak!) with a great view. I'd love it if they reopened it. Barring that, I've always thought that rather than put a roller coaster in the old Vortex plot, they should put a mini land, maybe complete with a really nice restaurant that offers a nice view of the other side of the park or has some sort of scenic view incorporated (maybe have it face The Beast). Kings Island needs at least one good sit-down, fancy-ish dining experience. 

2.) Rehaul the Festhaus. Get rid of the cafeteria lines, Panda Express and the crappy pizza. Use the stage and turn it into a dinner theater experience, maybe even with wait staff. Or keep the cafeteria style but make it truly international themed and make the shows there ones that are can't-miss attractions. Years ago, they had ice skating shows in there and it truly felt like an event. Treat the Festhaus like the gem it used to be, not just a food court/air conditioned holding pen. 

3.) I think the park's also missing a really good sit-down, indoor family restaurant in Planet Snoopy (not sure where it could go, though). Kids get hot and tired and need extended time to sit. A good pizza/burger/chicken wings joint in Planet Snoopy with air conditioning and a fun atmosphere would really help. 

A place to dine in like Grand Pavilion would be nice. And you're right, Festhaus is really needing a remodel. The only international food there is really Panda Express, which has horrible and overpriced food portions (the smallest portion is a Food Plan exclusive).

Edited August 7 by CartersCoasters
typo

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

2 hours ago, cdubbs727 said:

Barring that, I've always thought that rather than put a roller coaster in the old Vortex plot, they should put a mini land, maybe complete with a really nice restaurant that offers a nice view of the other side of the park or has some sort of scenic view incorporated (maybe have it face The Beast). Kings Island needs at least one good sit-down, fancy-ish dining experience. 

The issue with this is that anything in The Vortex plot would need to deal with the ravine so any paths or ride foundations would be much harder than it is worth to do. Turning the area from KMAA over toward the Rivertown LaRosa's into a new mini-land would be a possibility, but I think Kings Island already has enough mini-lands as it is. 

A new indoor restaurant is definitely needed. My idea for a Moonlite Gardens replica building could be used to accomplish something like the Grand Pavilion did. Its a bit of nostalgia from Coney Island combined with a new indoor dining location. 

The Festhaus has not historically done well when serving purely international options. Reconfiguring and transforming it to be set up more like Carowinds' Harmony Hall would do wonders by consolidating the food lines a little and leaving more room for additional tables. The largest drawback to expanding it would be the amount of service courtyard that would need to be taken for it. Any offices in there would likely also need to be moved.