(Image: Simply Soulful)
(Image: Simply Soulful)
Lillian Rambus and her mom Barbara Collins finally have time to celebrate the move of their Seattle soul food favorite Soulful Cafe to a new corner of the Central District.
Friday, Soulful is holding a Black History Month celebration at 23rd and Jackson where it reopened last summer amid a wave of redevelopment and new opportunities for Black ownership.
“It’s important to be here, especially at this location,” Rambus said in the announcement of the planned Friday of ribbon cutting and raffles. “This grand reopening recognizes Black history locally. That’s why we chose this month to celebrate being here.”
Simply Soulful opened in Madison Valley in 2014, adding soul food favorites to the menu like biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, sandwiches, and more. The expanded menu and continued success meant Simply Soulful was quickly outgrowing their space.
The cafe owners found a new home with Vulcan Real Estate’s redevelopment of the Red Apple grocery property into the Jackson Apartments and its main commercial tenant, an Amazon Fresh grocery store. Other tenants include the Black-owned 23rd Ave Brewery taproom.
“Vulcan Real Estate is committed to amplifying entrepreneurs and small businesses whose values closely align with those of the community,” Ada M. Healey, Vulcan’s chief real estate officer, said in the press release about Friday’s event. “We’re eager to continue working alongside Simply Soulful to honor and celebrate the rich cultural legacy of this neighborhood.”
Vulcan’s $30.9 million deal to acquire the 23rd and Jackson property included both sides of Jackson. It continues to hold the shopping center on the north side of the street with no plans announced, yet, for future redevelopment. The company does have an opportunity to add a new tenant to the property after Starbucks closed its cafe at 23rd and Jackson last year as part of a wave of shutdowns citing safety concerns. A Black-owned coffee shop replacing the chain would seem to fit right in.
Simply Soulful’s ownership, meanwhile, thanked Vulcan along with assistance from the Seattle Office of Economic Development, and Ventures nonprofit, in supporting the restaurant and helped make the move from Madison Valley to the Central District possible.
Friday’s celebration will run from 11 AM to 6 PM.
Simply Soulful is located at 2321 S. Jackson. Learn more at simplysoulfulcafe.com.
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I’ve tried to go to this place a few times but they close really early (7 pm).
Why does everything in Seattle shut down so early?
This is an issue city-wide and more to do with workers simply refusing to take on such a late night shift when there’s no money in it.
What you said can totally be the case. It can also sometimes be that not enough customers come at later hours for businesses to feel it is worth it to stay open. I know many people who want to work longer hours, but their bosses don’t want to spend the money on labor, so they close earlier. I have no idea if either of these scenarios applies to Simply Soulful, though.
I think it’s just that the people in Seattle are boring now and in bed by like 7.
So happy to see Simply Soulful thriving! Their food is DELICIOUS!!!!