Soul Food Cafe set to open in Madison Square Business District

LINC Community Revitalization, Inc. will be the home of Grand Rapids' newest addition to the local food scene.

The LINC Up Soul Food Cafe inside the LINC Development Center at 1167 Madison Ave. in southeast Grand Rapids, will have its grand opening on February 10. It will be the first sit-down restaurant in the Madison Square Business District.

Jorge Gonzalez, director of economic development at LINC, says the restaurant is a job creator, with nine new jobs being added immediately. The business will serve as an extension of LINC's "Buy Local, Hire Local" initiative, as all the jobs will be given to local residents.

The menu will focus on "southern-style food" and the team is in the process of working on sourcing local products from area farms and markets. Menu items will include traditional country staples such as barbecue rib tips, baby back ribs, catfish and brisket. Veteran chef and pitmaster Don Everette Sr. will be overseeing the restaurant. Gonzalez says their focus will be on high quality food: "It will be a family restaurant with a great customer experience."

The LINC Up Soul Food Cafe will be open for business Monday- Saturday from 7 a.m.- 8 p.m. and Sunday for brunch from noon-4 p.m.

LINC Community Revitalization, Inc. is a neighborhood revitalization organization that provides services to Kent County.

Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor
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