The best soul food has always been about more than what’s on the plate.
It’s the recipes that outlive generations, the conversations that stretch long after dessert, and the feeling of walking into your grandmother’s kitchen, where slow-simmered greens, sweet, glazed yams and crispy chicken are never short in supply.
That’s exactly the atmosphere owners and Daytona natives James and Angelique King hope to recreate when they open their first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Grandma’s Supreme Cuisine, in early August — just six months after launching a food trailer that quickly proved it was destined for something bigger.
The making of Grandma’s Supreme Cuisine in Daytona Beach
Before starting their own venture in January, the lifelong friends-turned-husband-and-wife team spent a combined more than six decades in the food service industry.
“I started out in culinary management at Daytona State College … and was kind of in and out of restaurants and nursing homes, but nursing homes a majority of the time,” James told The News-Journal.
“We had talked about it a lot — working for ourselves, branching out and starting our own business together as husband and wife,” Angelique added, the duo ultimately inspired by what they knew best: Sundays at grandma’s house.
“We went through different — a few ideas of exactly what we wanted to be. Especially in this location, there’s not many soul food restaurants,” James said.
“… Soul food is just different — all the love put into it, the inspiration. And you can tell people took their time, you know? … So my wife, she has a saying, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ because (customers) always come back.”
In less than six months’ time, the family-run food truck has earned more than 8,000 Facebook followers and a steady line of repeat customers — many insisting this is only the beginning for Grandma’s Supreme Cuisine.
“From the start, I prayed about it, and God gave me the vision. First, it was the food truck — getting the food truck established. Then, he kept telling me that it’s bigger than what I’m thinking — it’s greater,” James said. “So, he told me within a year, you’ll be in a building.”
The Kings signed the restaurant’s lease just weeks ago.
What’s on the menu at Grandma’s Supreme Cuisine?
Housed less than a half-mile north of Bethune-Cookman University, the new, roughly 800-square-foot restaurant will hopefully serve as a taste of home for local college students, the Kings said, with indoor seating for 30 guests.
The eatery will serve an identical menu to its food truck, which the couple will maintain alongside their restaurant, with rotating specials introduced regularly — like James’ brown stew chicken.
Described as “soul food with a twist,” the menu features several seafood dinners, like the fried or grilled shrimp, supreme salmon and fish dinners (whiting or catfish), as well as Grandma’s traditional soul food dinners, ranging from oxtail to pork chops, turkey wings and lemon-pepper chicken wings, among other options.
Each dinner is served with rice, cornbread and two sides, according to the menu, including collard greens, glazed yams or baked mac and cheese.
“(The menu consists of) things that I loved to see my grandma cook and that we all ate. We were always glad to get up and go to her house,” Angelique said, James agreeing, noting that every item, from the glazed yams to the gravy, is made in-house.
More at Grandma’s Supreme Cuisine
Beyond providing a true home-cooked meal to the Daytona area, the Kings look forward to creating a handful of new jobs within the community and giving back through their restaurant.
“Once we get here and get to running, we want to do, like maybe on Saturdays, something for the kids where they can come and get a free hot dog or free hamburger,” Angelique said. “Just something to give back and let them know that if you have a dream, it’s possible. You just have to keep putting God first and meditating on that dream.”
The outpouring of support from both locals and customers from as far as Port Saint Lucie has been nothing short of incredible, the Kings said, describing it as motivation to continue growing.
“Hearing the compliments and seeing the videos of people posting (our food), it’s inspiration that we know we are in our time. We’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to be doing, and we love it,” James said. “… It’s a blessing for us to be able to do this together. That, and our faith in God, I don’t want to say has made it easy, but it’s made it easier.”
Grandma’s Supreme Cuisine food truck is located at 1695 3rd St. in Daytona Beach and is open 1 – 8 p.m. Thursday – Saturday and 1 – 5 p.m. on Sunday, according to its Facebook page.
Grandma’s Supreme Cuisine restaurant is located at 560 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd. in Daytona Beach. For information and updates, visit grandmassupremecuisine.com or facebook.com.
— Helena Perray is the food and dining reporter for The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Follow her on Instagram, and support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach food truck to expand with new soul food restaurant
Reporting by Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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By Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
