Popular soul food joint Detroit Soul has a new location in Jefferson Chalmers.
It’s the second outpost for the restaurant owned by brothers Samuel Van Buren and Jerome Brown. While the first Detroit Soul location — which opened in 2015 on E. Eight Mile Road — focuses on takeout and catering, the new spot has more space for dine-in customers.
The farm-to-table eatery adds a healthy spin to classic soul food and 90% of its ingredients are sourced locally.
“This whole idea of sourcing food for urban communities ties into our commitment to help our community eat healthy,” Van Buren said in a media release. “We want to encourage people to eat well by eating better. Many of these areas have poor health because there is a lack of healthy food options. Detroit Soul brings this healthier twist to soul food, utilizing ingredients that are better for you and less harmful to your health.”
In true Detroit fashion, the brothers made the opening a whole affair with a ticketed preview gala in November and ribbon-cutting with Mayor Mike Duggan, before officially opening to the public on Dec. 14.
Brown and Van Buren received a $60,000 grant from Motor City Match to help open the new spot inside the historic Kresge Building Department Store at 14300 E. Jefferson Ave.
They also worked with nonprofit organization Jefferson East Inc. to host public engagement sessions in the neighborhood and found that residents wanted family-friendly dine-in options and businesses that would hire from within the community. So Detroit Soul did just that — all the employees at the new restaurant are Detroiters.
“In opening the location of this soul food restaurant, we aspire to build more community, economic growth, and employment within the area,” Brown said in the release. “We hope our restaurant will become that third place that you can come – whether you’re a janitor or CEO – and band together as equals while enjoying nostalgic food and conversations.”
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