Eight months after the Chicago Department of Health closed it down for several code violations, a popular Black-owned restaurant has re-opened.
Eight months after the Chicago Department of Health closed it down for several code violations, a popular Black-owned restaurant has re-opened. Soul Queen Restaurant, 9031 S. Stony Island Ave., opened its doors again March 29 following renovation work that had been planned prior to its closure last year. According to Timothy Hadac, a spokesman for the health department, Soul Queen was closed July 14, 2008 after being cited for storing food in a cooler above the required 40 degrees or below temperature; having a leaky automatic dishwasher, which spilled dirty water on the kitchen floor; raw sewage coming up through a floor drain; no certified food manager on duty and the outside garbage dumpster overflowed with trash. It was cleared to re-open Aug. 22, 2008. Hadac said that last year’s closure marked the second time in 10 years Soul Queen had been closed down for code violations. “It has been cited a number of times in the past but only twice were the violations so severe we had to shut them down,” he told the Defender. “Typically, though, we will inspect restaurants like Soul Queen that prepare large volumes of food from scratch twice a year.” The longtime owner, Helen Maybell-Anglin, was unavailable for comment. She founded the sit-down, soul food establishment in 1971. Despite its rocky past, customers said they plan to continue eating there. “I grew up on this food so I know I will be back,” said Jared Jackson, 51. “Ever since my wife died, I have not been able to get a good, home-cooked meal, so I come here where I know the food is delicious.” And Phillip Hersey, 47, is a truck driver who often stops at Soul Queen for lunch when he is making deliveries in Chicago. “I was wondering if they would ever open back up. I am glad to see them back open because the food is very good,” he said. “Every restaurant has problems so Soul Queen is no different than Red Lobster or some other sit-down place with a lot of foot traffic.” ______ Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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