by Mark Van Streefkerk Nov 10, 2021, 11:20am PST
Two Seattle restaurants will have new outposts on the Eastside, and more AM intel
Island Soul Rum Bar & Soul Shack is a Columbia City mainstay, serving Caribbean and southern dishes like gumbo, po’ boys, burgers, and jerk chicken. Yesterday, November 9, the owners of Island Soul announced the opening of a sister restaurant on the Kirkland waterfront called Arleana’s. The Kirkland restaurant will be the first Black-owned Caribbean and southern restaurant in the area. Arleana’s is currently in the permitting process with construction slated to begin next year and a grand opening tentatively planned for June 2022.
Co-owners of Island Soul and Arleana’s Theo and Gaelyn Martin have launched a crowdfunding campaign to help cover the costs of Arleana’s buildout. Island Soul started as Theo’s father’s barbecue restaurant in the Central District in the 1970s, which Theo relocated to Columbia City in 2007. Named after Theo’s mother, Arleana’s will emphasize Caribbean seafood dishes and aspire to carry the state’s largest rum selection.