From Street Corners to City Tours: Chef Chuck Glaster on Building SOULD Out Into a Culture-Driven Culinary Movement

Instead of following the traditional restaurant route, Chef Chuck Glaster built SOULD Out from the ground up — literally on the streets — turning real-time connection, mobility, and community into his biggest advantages. What began as street vending has evolved into a touring, experience-first brand where food, music, and storytelling come together to create something memorable in every city. By staying rooted in family recipes while embracing adaptability and culture, he’s proving that success doesn’t have to be stationary — it can move, grow, and meet people exactly where they are.

Chef Chuck, SOULD Out has grown from street vending into a touring, experience-driven brand. What inspired you to take this unconventional path instead of opening a traditional restaurant?
I’ve seen what it takes to run a traditional restaurant, and I knew early on I didn’t want to rush into something I wasn’t fully ready for. What I was ready for was to feed people. Street vending gave me real-time feedback, real connection, and real freedom. It allowed me to build SOULD Out organically, city by city, plate by plate. The tour became a way to take the experience directly to the people instead of waiting for them to come to one location. It’s unconventional, but it’s intentional. I’m building something that moves, something that lives in the culture. A restaurant you have to travel to, imagine me being 5 minutes from your house on any given day. Using social media to drive my customers is something I don’t take for granted.

You talk about creating “SOUL elevated experiences” rather than just serving food. What does that look like in practice, and how do people typically respond to it?
It’s more than just a plate. It’s the energy, the music, the setup, the interaction, the storytelling behind every dish. From the moment you pull up, it should feel like you’re part of something. Whether it’s a late-night pop-up, a brunch, or a tour stop, we’re creating moments. Quality food is the foundation, but the experience is what people remember. Most people come for the food, but they come back because of how it made them feel. I’m hosting a huge brunch on 5/09 it should intel all the things I’m hoping I give on the street.

Family recipes are at the heart of your menu. How do you balance honoring those roots while elevating them for a broader audience?
Shoutout to everyone that ever put on a SOULD out tee, the food is universal but the soul, it gave me new purpose. It connected me to my roots, my family, and my community, and turned something I grew up having around into something I can build a future with. Every plate is bigger than food for me, it’s a way to inspire, to provide, and to show what’s possible when you pour your soul into something real. SOULD out from the duece to the world.

Touring different cities is a big part of your growth strategy. What have you learned from building your brand in multiple markets in real time?
I’ve learned that every city has its own rhythm, but good food and real energy translate everywhere. Touring teaches you how to adapt fast—different crowds, different expectations, different setups. It’s also shown me that the brand is bigger than one location. We’re building recognition in multiple markets at once, and that creates demand before we even plant roots somewhere permanent.

Community impact is clearly central to SOULD Out, how do you ensure that giving back stays a core part of your business as you continue to scale?
That part is non-negotiable. It’s how this started. Whether it’s free food giveaways, showing up to community events, or creating opportunities for others to be involved, that’s built into the brand. As we grow, it’s about being intentional—setting aside time, resources, and moments to give back in every city we touch. If we ever lose that, we lose the meaning behind SOULD Out.