The truck will also offer home-cooked fresh fish, chicken wings, egg rolls, greens, macaroni and cheese and more.
Kore 4 Soul Kitchen is a partnership between four friends — Vernon and Sunna Bass and Jamel and Nettie Carter-Smith. Their names have been prominent in Springfield for their nonprofit organization, Bass Smith Connection, which raises funds to help Black Springfield students attend college.
The name Kore 4 is a tribute to their friendship.
Vernon Bass said they looked at different businesses and food was a natural choice, as he tended the grill. They participated in some events over the summer and built an outdoor area next to Joshne Hair Salon, which Sunna Bass owns, where wine tastings were held and began serving food at various times.
What went into the choice was bringing a different food selection to Springfield, inspired by Vernon Bass’ Tennessee upbringing.
Food ‘made with a lot of love’
“To me, soul food was my mom going into the kitchen before church and putting on a pot of greens, and then after church frying the chicken and mac and making cheese, and we’d sit down as a family to eat it,” he said. “It’s food that is made with a lot of love.”
Bass described the flavor as coming from a lot of different backgrounds, calling the mac and cheese the best in the city and their signature dish, but also talks up the fish and chicken as competing with the best.
Bourbon chicken is another new choice with a homemade sauce he said will make it stand out. Samples of new dishes, including white chicken chili, were also handed out on Saturday.
Jan Williams got a taste of some of that food over the summer and made sure she braved the winds to get not only lunch, but dinner as well and planned on coming back the following day.
“This food is exceptional, it feels like family,” she said. “Food is excellent when it’s home-cooked. And I live close to here, so it’s very convenient. We needed something like this over here.”
Christy Detrick also tried the food last summer and got her fill on Saturday. She works alongside Nettie Carter-Smith at the Rocking Horse Center Community Health Center and also likes the location.
“I love trying new stuff, and the fact they are supporting this neighborhood is great,” Detrick said.
Soul Kitchen is a complement to the Groceryland store that just opened up on South Limestone Street in place of the former Kroger earlier in the week.
$60K in scholarships
Along with serving food, the owners also hope to bring attention to its nonprofit activities to continue providing scholarships, with nearly $60,000 raised over six years, Carter-Smith said.
“Financial support is one of the biggest parts of kids finishing college,” Vernon Bass said. “We try to get kids the motivation to go to college and provide the assistance to help them stay in college.”
As part of the launch, Santa visited the salon next door and one of his helpers was Demoni’ Ramey, who received his undergraduate and master’s degrees through Bass Smith Connection scholarships. She is now working as a therapist at Springfield High School. She said being at the event was part of her giving back.
“A lot of kids look up to me now,” she said. “I want to help the way I was helped.”
Vernon Bass said the food truck is like a kitchen on wheels, bigger than most food trucks, and they will try to operate at least two weekends a month, then expand out to do various events in the warm weather months around the city. More patio events will also resume during the spring, working around schedules as all four still have full-time jobs.
“We’re here to have fun and hope the community will come out and support us,” he said.
For more information on when Kore 4 Soul Kitchen will be open and menu updates, go to ww.facebook.com/Kore4SoulKitchen/.
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