Heather Bublick

The holidays are meant to be a time for warmth, love, and shared meals. Every year, Soul & Smoke partners with local nonprofits like Family Focus and Connections for the Homeless to help make sure families in our community can gather around the table with dignity and joy. Supported by community donations, we normally provide 250 Thanksgiving meals to families in need - no questions asked. Because of the government shutdown, SNAP benefits are being taken away from nearly 2 million people in Illinois, almost half of which are families with children or people with disabilities. In Evanston alone, it is estimated that nearly 3,000 kids will be losing SNAP benefits. On top of this is widespread fear in immigrant communities due to the increased ICE activity, as well as tens of thousands of Illinois federal workers heading into the holidays without a paycheck. A large portion of our community needs help now more than ever. The Soul & Smoke Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3), is ready to activate. We’re committed to feeding as many families as we can this Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season. But we can’t do it alone. Your generosity makes a direct, tangible impact. 👉How you can help: 💛 Make a donation to help us fund holiday meals for local families 🛒 Add meals or groceries directly to our Community Fridge and Pantry 📣 Share this message with your community to help us reach more people Every dollar raised goes directly toward feeding families in our community — no hurdles, no barriers, just food and love. This Thanksgiving, let’s come together to make sure every family has a seat at the table, no matter their circumstances. Food is love. Food is hope. Food is community. Do you or someone you know need a meal for Thanksgiving? Please email us at [email protected] and let us know, we would love to help. If you need food ASAP, please come visit our community fridge at 1601 Payne St. in Evanston. Soul & Smoke, a network of neighbors, and Evanston Community Fridges volunteers work hard to make sure food is added multiple times per day. The fridge is open 24/7 and is available to anyone in need, no questions asked.

This week I had the honor and privilege of speaking at a behind the business chat with @letstalkwomxnchi . I am so thankful for the friendship and community LTW has given me. Entrepreneurship can be lonely. Thank you to, to @deyrohini for always pushing me to tell mine and @soulandsmoke ’s story and to be louder. After loosing Avery, I really went into my shell. I stopped taking meetings, I stopped doing customer consultations, I more or less, stopped talking. The last two years, I have really tried to come out more and be the hospitality professional, I’m supposed to be. She knows what I’ve over come and always applies a constant gentle pressure. I’m forever greatful. Also, these chats are wonderful. They’ve been inspiring and really help to bring us all together. We’re hosting four more this month, every Thursday from 5-8 at @vermilionchicago . Please come.

We’re getting rid of tipping! Our goal is to fairly compensate our team for their work while separating ourselves from the negative historical practices surrounding tipping. At Soul & Smoke, we pride ourselves on using high-quality ingredients, paying our staff well, composting, using eco-friendly disposables, and giving back to our community - we've provided almost 350,000 community meals since 2020! We recognize the importance of value, and feel that further price adjustments to our menu could risk our competitive standing within the market. Moving forward, we’re instituting an 8% service charge at our counter service restaurants and for catering orders and 18% service charge for food truck and full service catering. There will not be an option to add an additional gratuity to any checks. This service fee will be distributed to all of our employees. From delivery drivers, to dishwashers, to the kitchen team and cashiers- based on the number of hours worked each week. We will also continue to pay our employees a living wage, provide paid time off, health + dental insurance, retirement savings, and other ancillary benefits. We appreciate your support as we continue striving to establish an environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and considerate of all individuals. If you would like the service charge removed from your bill, please let us know. —Heather, D’Andre and the @soulandsmoke team ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

We’re incredibly excited to finally share our newest mural, created by the one and only @hebrubrantley . Watching this piece come to life inside our restaurant was inspiring, emotional, and honestly surreal. It reminded us exactly why we wanted art to be such a major part of this space in the first place. Every piece in the restaurant was chosen with intention — not just to fill walls, but to help create a space rooted in culture, creativity, and community. We can’t wait for everyone to experience it in person.

Our building is rooted in history. Our story is connected to our community. When we first experienced the “Give Us Our Flowers” series by @guystanleyphiloche and heard him speak about using his work to amplify underrepresented voices, we knew his art belonged in this space. “Do you see us now?” Black kids. The Fifth Ward. Black pitmasters. The meaning is endless when you’re committed to giving voice to those too often overlooked. We’re proud to bring this piece into our restaurant—and we can’t wait to open our doors and share it with our community.

MTV Cribs pulled up to Soul & Smoke Evanston this week 👀🔥 We’re still in the middle of construction, but we love giving a sneak peek into what we’ve been building in the 5th Ward. This space means everything to us — rooted in history, built for the community, and designed to show what the future of BBQ can look like in Chicago. There’s still a lot to finish… but we’ll be back with another update in just a few short weeks. Evanston, we’re getting close. 🤎

Expo weekend was such a vibe. Met some amazing new to us artists, and caught up with some of our favorites. Got to share it all with our two favorite tiny humans, who joined us at @theotherartfair . So thankful to celebrate art all weekend.

Last month, we hosted Northlight Theater’s Savor Evanston—a tour through all nine wards—and were honored to represent the 5th Ward in our home. While the restaurant wasn’t fully complete (we truly thought it would be when we scheduled it), it meant so much to welcome our community in and share a glimpse of what we’ve been building. There’s so much more to come. And it’s almost here!

We love our community. This week, we took part in the second annual Chicago Chefs Cook, I Cook for a Benefit. Five causes were identified, including food insecurity — and the Soul & Smoke Foundation was chosen as the beneficiary to represent food insecurity. We’re always so moved by the chefs who show up to cook and give their time, and by our friends and family who show up to support these events. It’s a reminder of what this community can do when we come together. This night was special — a powerful reminder of why we do this work.

We had the honor of bringing a little piece of Chicago to Philadelphia this weekend for @thechefassembly . We served our Maxwell Street–style ‘nduja hot link — a mashup of two Chicago classics, the Maxwell Street Polish and the city’s iconic hot links, layered with the bold flavor of our favorite ‘nduja. It’s a dish rooted in the streets — in the neighborhoods and traditions that shaped Chicago’s food culture. The kind of food that’s meant to be eaten standing up, shared, and talked about. A little bit of history and Soul & Smoke swag — all in one bite. 🔥 🙌 it was such a hit!!

On March 26, we’re proud to stand alongside our city’s culinary community for the second annual I Cook For benefit with Chicago Chefs Cook at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. This night is about using what we do best to support the people and causes that matter most. This year, we’re cooking with purpose—raising funds for the Soul & Smoke Foundation and our ongoing work to fight food insecurity across our communities. Every plate we serve is part of a larger mission to make sure our neighbors have access to good, nourishing food. Join us as we raise a glass, share a plate, and give back!

Happy Birthday @maxbcarter ! We love you hunny! 🎂😘❤️