Soulcial Kitchen By Lynn Venhaus, Contributing Writer
Currently, the food trucks include A Fine Swine championship barbecue, El Guaqo Taco, and Soulcial Smash Burger Company. The Space Shuttle Café, a converted DC-3 airplane on wheels, landed on the parking lot in November. Chicken and pizza choices are coming later – such as Neo’s Wood-Fired Pizza and NashVegas Fried. The brick-and-mortar restaurant, which opened in October, offers barbecue, tacos, and burgers, with sides, as well as Daily Inspirations – chef specials, which include salad, soup, and sandwich of the day selections as well as a burger of the week and vegetable of the week.
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he first mobile cloud kitchen platform in the Metro East continues to grow food concepts and its mission on its nearly three acres at 127 North Belt East in Swansea.
Soulcial Kitchen began last summer to offer customers variety, like a food hall. Now their commissary includes takeout, delivery, curbside, online ordering, catering, a fleet of food trucks and a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. John E. Michel and his wife Holly, who live in O’Fallon, created the hospitality business model to provide a unique experience. Besides distinctive food, they wanted Soulcial Kitchen to be both a business incubator and a charity-driven mission. Michel, a retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General, is a former fighter pilot who is an award-winning author and motivational speaker. He was a partner in Minute Man Hamburger restaurants in Arkansas, which involves Veterans in the operations.
Inside, they can serve 60-70 people, and with the outside patio, about 100. The head chef is Chris Stein, a graduate with honors of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and a native of Southern Illinois. Previous experience includes working for the Wrigley Family’s Santa Catalina Island Company and in the kitchens of Niche and Sidney Street Café in St. Louis under James Beard awardwinning chefs Gerard Craft and Kevin Nasham. Stein said he was excited to join the Soulcial Kitchen team. “Not only are they on the culinary cutting edge, I believe in their mission of giving back to the community,” he said. The complex includes a beer garden, dog park and grounds for family gatherings. To make it an overall experience, plans for a covered pavilion for music, kids’ activities, fun and games are in the works. Michel said flexibility is key. These plans were set in motion when he connected with David Stidham, now chief operating officer, who previously ran A Fine Swine
26 | Marketplace Magazine | Winter Issue 2022 | marketplacemagazineonline.com
