Today we’d like to introduce you to Keia Irons
Hi Keia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Jessie Lindsey was the matriarch in our family. She was raised in the South in Mississippi, and she was a great chef in her kitchen. She seasoned everything she touched to perfection while cooking every single soul food dish that the South had! With her guidance on how to make food flavorful, My mother (Rossie) and her sister (Suette) started attending a food service class at a community College in Fremont Ohio. They had great ideas of running a deli or a restaurant. My Aunt got married and my mom got proceeded to live her own life working and raising children. As a career, My mother continued in the food service field working as a manager at
K-mart, Deli’s and in restaurants for over 20 years. She recently retired in food production and with the help of her youngest daughter (me) Keia, my mother and I started communicating about starting a food delivery/catering service. In honor of my grandmother (Jessie) and my Aunt (Suette) my mother decided to name our business Jessie and Sues’s ( J&S) Food from the Soul.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been a smooth road, It was a struggle learning the in and outs of how to get established as a credible food delivery service. It was difficult fitting into the city culture being from a small town. It was very hard getting customers and businesses that would take on a new company without networking. A lot of the time, we would bring in samples to work or invite co-workers to family cookouts and that’s how we got our name established. We got our LLC in 2022, so far we have volunteered to feed the staff of Woodcrest Elementary School for teacher appreciation week. We catered to baby showers, funerals, staff meetings, community fall festivals, and we are currently finding vending opportunities in and around Columbus, Ohio to get our soulful taste out here to the world.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are a family oriented Catering company who caters events and we specialize in a taste of soulful goodness. We are known for our BBQ ribs and chicken, pot roast, macaroni and cheese and greens. I am most proud of my children for assisting me and helping me achieve this goal for my mom. It makes my heart smile when I get others to taste our food and watching their face as they take the first bite is one of the best feelings. What sets us apart from others is all the southern seasonings we add while adding all the love and soul continuing traditions handed down from my mother and ancestors makes a big difference
What’s next?
Our plans for the future is to expand and be known around the world for our southern soul food. We are looking forward to owning food trucks and restaurants everywhere and to cater to everyone that loves food from the Soul.
Pricing:
- our meals go from $15-$20 includes two sides, bread and free dessert
- for a 40 to 50 guest event $500-$750
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jsfoodfromthesoulsoulfoodnetwork.mydurable.com
- Instagram: @soulfoodnetwork
- Facebook: Keia Irons
