Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Chubbs.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I was six, I moved from North Carolina to Washington, DC with my mother and brother. At the time, we were essentially homeless and moving back and forth from our various relatives’ homes — who would watch over us while my mother worked all hours of the day.
My brother and I had a very strained relationship with my relatives in DC, so we’re incredibly ostracized and left hungry while under their care.
So, at night, I would secretly mix up whatever was in the refrigerator for my brother and I.
Starting out, since I was just mixing up whatever was available, naturally what I was creating wasn’t terribly good.
However, when I turned eight, my mother got her own apartment, which allowed me to really be able to cook plus gain a better understanding of creating cohesive meals.
I was told not to touch the stove with my mother being at work; however, I would cook anyways because my brother would cry about being hungry and not liking what she had left us. Many years later, my mother came home early one day and caught me cooking. I typically was rather good at cleaning up/hiding the smell from her, but she was able to find that I had made spaghetti with onions, green peppers, and variety of seasonings.
After scolding me, she tasted the food and was shocked at how talented I was.
Learning how to cook came from necessity, but through that necessity is what allowed me to understand that one of my talents/life’s purposes is centered around food — and not only creating good food but food that genuinely comes from the soul.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
To be completely honest, it hasn’t been a smooth road, but definitely a very eye-opening and exciting one.
From 16-23, I grew up in Long Beach with my father, and as an adult I’ve been in the LA area for about eight years on and off — so naturally, I knew that when I was ready to open a restaurant, I wanted it to be in LA.
I acquired the restaurant space in Huntington Park, CA last year in 2020, and since then it’s been quite a ride.
COVID naturally took me for quite a surprise since it delayed a lot when it came to renovations, securing permits, etc.
However, outside of that, due to a foot surgery and other health concerns, it forced me to delay things much longer than intended.
Plus, while I’ve been doing private catering for decades now, this will be the first time that I’ve ever had a commercial restaurant space — so the learning curve of what’s required to legally open a restaurant has been tremendous, but I’m incredibly thankful for my support system.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Kimmico’s Soulfood?
Kimmico’s Soulfood is a fast-casual soul food restaurant (with vegan/vegetarian options) in the southeast LA area of Huntington Park, CA. While we had a soft opening in February, we’ll be officially opening our doors late July 2021.
We specialize in oxtails, collard greens, mac and cheese, ribs, and other comfort favorites. Since health and wellness is very important to me, I like to ensure that my dishes not only taste good but are also good for you — which is why I like to use all-natural/organic ingredients and offer a variety of vegetarian/vegan dishes.
I’ve been cooking for decades, but I always have so much joy when I see customers smiling faces when they eat my food. Unfortunately, due to anti-Blackness, soul food is stereotypically associated with being unhealthy, poor quality, etc., and while there are some soul food establishments that do use a lot of grease, oil, etc. in their dishes, I like to use my food as a way to shift that mindset.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We’ll be opening late July 2021, the exact date will be announced on our website at kimmicossoulfood.com and our Instagram (@kimmicossoulfood). We’re so excited to open our doors and cannot wait to meet everyone. We’ll open Tuesday – Sunday from 9 AM – 7 PM. I reserve Mondays for feeding the homeless and providing care packages on Skid Row.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: kimmicossoulfood.com
- Instagram: @kimmicossoulfood
- Facebook: facebook.com/kimmicossoulfood
Image Credits:
Images taken by Morgan Davis and Kim Chubbs
