Naiyozcsia King Thomason, otherwise known as “Mz. Jade,” recalled walking into W. Social about a year ago for Monday night karaoke.
“As soon as I stepped inside of it I said man, I would kill it if I had a Mz. Jade’s in here and it’s just crazy how it came back to me.”
When the owners of De’Lish, a Cajun, creole, comfort food concept, announced they were leaving the food hall on May 11, King said she had many people messaging her on Facebook letting her know that there was a spot opening up.
“Next thing I knew, a couple days later, it was all in the making,” King said.
Anthony Thomas, the owner of Taco Street Co, and Tae Winston, the owner of the Entrepreneurs Shoppe, helped walk King through the process to get her foot in the door.
Mz. Jade’s Soul Food will not have the full menu that is offered at the Middletown restaurant, but will have customer favorites including chicken, chicken wings, fish, pork chops, salmon patties and deep fried shrimp meals. Sides include collard greens, macaroni and cheese, potato salad and candied yams. King said she is planning to have seafood boils on Saturdays.
King, who was born and raised in Arkansas before moving to Detroit, Michigan, started cooking at six years old with her grandmother.
“By the time I was 11, I could cook like I cook now,” King said. “I learned everything from my grandmother. She taught me everything that I know.”
Her grandmother sold fish for a living and King recalled cleaning fish for a quarter when she was growing up. She’s the first person in her family to own a restaurant.
When asked what’s her secret to success, King said, “I put love in my food. People really don’t get home, soul food like they did back in the day.”
Other factors that have contributed to her success include consistency, transparency and being community based.
King said Dayton has been very supportive of her business. About 60 percent of people that eat at her Middletown restaurant are from Dayton and surrounding cities like Beavercreek, Huber Heights, Vandalia and Xenia.
She said she is looking forward to being a part of a growing historic business district.
Dillin Corp., the developer of W. Social, is doubling its investment in Wright Dunbar with a multimillion-dollar project that will diversify the growing number of places to eat, drink and shop on West Third Street. Businesses in the works include Wright Dunbar Cigar Shoppe & Lounge, XO Burger Vibez + Cocktails, Haymarket Deli and Sweets and Saoko Tea and Wine Bar.
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