RIBBON CUTTING HELD AT NEW SIMPLY SOUL LOCATION

Simply Soul, in partnership with the Centralia Chamber of Commerce, held a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday afternoon in celebration of its new 548 N. Poplar St. location.

The event was heavily attended, with Chamber members, officials with the City of Centralia, local media, and numerous community members showing their support to the Simply Soul owners Christina Wright and Isaac Wright, Jr. An assortment of hot food, drinks and desserts were also on hand for the occasion.

Christina, a Centralia native, said she and Isaac discovered the building in November of 2024, and purchased it a few months later.

“I grew up in northeast Centralia, so this was important to me,” Christina said. “When I saw the building, I saw the potential. I thought it would be perfect to invest where I grew up, and to hopefully be a light and an inspiration to the people in this community.”

Christina said the space is currently open and available to rent while the kitchen is being finished.

“The kitchen is about halfway done. We are just waiting for the fire suppression to get done and then buy the equipment to cook,” she said. “But you can rent the space for parties. We can host events for you. We can also cater. We can cook on the truck and then bring it to you in here while the kitchen is being finished.”

According to the Wrights, the new location will also feature an expanded menu which will be inspired by Isaac’s former home of New Orleans, Louisiana.

“Isaac is from New Orleans, so we’d like to add some of that Cajun flare as well,” explained Christina. “Our website says ‘comfort soul and Cajun’. We just hadn’t been able to get into [the Cajun additions to the menu] until now.”

Isaac, a Houston native who moved to New Orleans before relocating with Christina in Centralia, said he saw the business and its new location as a way to give back to the community he now calls home.

“For me, it’s an opportunity to give back to the community,” Isaac said. “This is a community that welcomed me when I got here. So this is a way for me to express our love and how we care about the community.”

Simply Soul was founded by the Wrights in 2018 and transitioned into the food truck business in 2022.