Monika

As a kid growing up in Mississippi, soul food was always a part of my family’s Sunday routine and daily life. When I was a teenager my mom fell ill and it became my responsibility to help her out in the kitchen and around the house; this is where my love and passion for cooking was forged. Years later after the passing of my mother and marrying, I found myself cooking a lot of the dishes that I learned to cook as a child for my family and they loved them.

In 2016 my career brought us to NWA but we quickly realized that the market for soul was nearly nonexistent. In 2023 burnout had completely set in for me and the corporate world and I was searching for a change in career and something to reinvigorate myself when my wife suggested that we start a restaurant. After much discussion, planning and prayer we decided to step out on faith and launch The Soul Food Hut in July of 2025.