Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
Zee’s Soul Street Cafe is bringing local man, Jahmia “Z” Keebler’s take on classic street food and traditional homestyle southern cooking to McQueen Smith Road in Prattville, where they are projected to open March 18th.
“I asked God to lead me, direct me and make this happen. I wanted to create something where you can get soul food and street food all in one. Where mamma and daddy can get collard greens and dressings, baby girl can get taco salad, and baby boy can get a hamburger and so forth,” Keebler said.
Keebler has been teasing Prattville with delicious pictures and documenting the process leading to opening day through various groups on Facebook, and the cafe has already started to grow a following.
Formerly the general manager for local restaurant The Goat, this isn’t Keebler’s first Rodeo opening a restaurant from scratch. With over 18-years of restaurant experience Keebler has opened four restaurants for other companies and Zee’s Soul Street Cafe will be Keebler’s third restaurant he’s opened himself.
“I received a lot of knowledge from previous places, including The Goat. I have a whole different drive and a whole different momentum. I still love and respect them. But the day I no longer worked there, my wife stood flat footed in my face and told me, take everything you did for them, everything you’ve learned in the past, everything they taught you, and go do it for yourself, on that very same day,” Keebler said.
Keebler stated that he thought that all hope was gone, and having nine children and a wife at home, he was unsure how to push forward to make ends meet. But Keebler realized that if he can do all of that for other companies to start out, he can do it for himself, with Covid out of the way, one more time.
The location came by chance. Originally Keebler had hoped to be downtown Prattville, but when push came to shove, the former Wing It On location was perfect for the vision Keebler had for Zee’s Soul Street Cafe.
Keebler stated if it hadn’t been for the help of Kristi Pieper, Autauga County Director of Economic and Community Development, Bryant Whaley, Prattville’s Economic Developer and Quincy Minor, longtime Prattville native, owner of Wing It On and landlord to the space, Keebler stated he would not have found this fast success and streak of luck.
“This has been nothing but the grace and favor of God that has gotten me where I am now. God will make something happen and does everything for a reason. Quincy told me he could have a lease ready to go by tomorrow, at the time, and it already had all the equipment, this was everything we needed,” Keebler said.
Keebler is no stranger to being in the kitchen. At a young age, Keebler was in the kitchen cooking for his two siblings, and he fell in love with bringing other’s souls and taste buds alive through food.
“When I was 15 my mom found out that she had breast cancer. When she got sick, somebody had to feed us, and while she was in the hospital I decided to start cooking in her kitchen. Of course, I got in trouble because I didn’t clean up the right way, used the wrong product… and didn’t get permission to be in her kitchen,” Keebler said with a laugh.
“Since then, my heart has been on cooking soul food on a level where people with cancer, diabetes, and other issues can still enjoy,” Keebler said.
The recipes will be from Keebler’s own cookbook, where eventually it will be for sale within the cafe, so customers can take Zee’s soul food to their own kitchen. However, Keebler also has taken a lot of inspiration from his mother and grandmother’s cookbooks.
“All of the recipes that I have on this particular menu came from mine and my family’s kitchen, some of them came from my grandmama’s cookbook, some of them came from my mama’s cookbook. One of the main things I pride myself of is the fact that I created and have cooked almost everything in my own kitchen,” Keebler said.
But something that Keebler takes pride in among all else are his deserts. Which came mainly from his mother’s recipes and inspiration. But one thing that is uniquely his own, and what makes a family function feel like home, is his mac and cheese. When asked what his children’s favorite dish he makes was, Keebler responded quickly with that it was his mac and cheese.
“My two-year-old is always asking for mac, we can’t have any type of functions without me making mac and cheese for my folks. When all of my kids are together, we have mac and cheese and homemade fried chicken,” Keebler said.
Both of which will be a stable in Zee’s Soul Street Cafe.
“We’re not a chicken restaurant, we’re a southern restaurant. But what’s a southern restaurant without homemade country fried chicken?” Keebler said.
Keebler is currently taking applications, and stated he will be looking to build the perfect team to enhance his opportunities for growth and more locations down the line, within the Prattville area.
Stop by and pick up an application at 692 McQueen Smith Rd N, from Keebler himself. He will be at the restaurant every day until 3 p.m. or call 334-380-3042.
