That still holds true, she said.
King-Thomason, known as “Ms. Jade,” was born and raised in Arkansas before moving to Detroit and began cooking with her grandmother when she was 6. With the closing of the full-service Middletown location, she will be focusing on the Dayton location and the Sharonville location that is scheduled to open in August, she said.
Mz. Jade’s Soul Food has been around for about six years, having had a location in Middletown, then a short one in Monroe, and most recently two locations just a few blocks apart downtown.
This traditional restaurant offers a full menu of hearty, homemade dishes with a choice of popular side dishes to accompany your meals.
Last month, King Thomason opened Mz Jade’s inside W. Social Tap & Table in Dayton. The food hall, located at 1100 W. Third St., also features other vendors including The Lumpia Queen, SOCA, Taco Street Co. and The Tap at W. Social.
Many diners will be taking food from the food hall to go or sitting in a common area that seats about 160 people.
“You know, originally we had no plans to expand outside of Middletown. We always said, if you want Jade’s soul food, you have to come to Middletown, Ohio. But after three years of running a full-service restaurant, we’ve learned a lot and realized the only way we could continue to operate Jade’s was to cut expenses,” King-Thomason says. “We want a takeout location, where you can get the same quality food and customer service from a great family, without the hassle.”
While she trains her staff and they do the hectic prep work, King-Thomason said she’s in charge of the cooking, and that should remain the case.
“They do the prep and I just cook,” she said.
The Dayton store is open during lunch hours, so sales are high but easy to manage because there are no overhead costs.
King-Thomason said she has been working on plans for the Sharonville location since January and plans to open as soon as the plans are finalized. She also plans to travel to local events in her Mz Jade’s Soul Truck.
“But listen, I love Middletown. I love traveling in Middletown. I love the community, the city is great,” she said. “And when they build the events center down the highway, don’t be surprised if you see Jade Soul there. I’ll be back.”
