Market Feeds the Soul

In the back of in downtown Canton is a lunch counter with cupcakes, cookies and other goodies in its display case. But, The Soul Food Market is more than just dessert, owner Diane Oberkrom said. The restaurant, which opened in June, also offers sandwiches such as chicken salad, egg salad, pulled pork and a veggie wrap, and a soul food special every day. Canton-Sixes Patch recently spoke with Oberkrom about opening her restaurant during the economic downturn and how business has been going.

Patch: Why did you decide to open in a bookstore?

Oberkrom: The lunch counter was already here, and they contacted me and said that their business was growing for their publishing and their booksales, and they were having difficulty keeping up with the food part of their business. They wanted to know if I wanted to lease it and make it my own. I took it over and made it into a little cupcake shop and lunch counter. 

Patch: How has business been?

Oberkrom: It has really been growing. We are doing a great lunch business, which surprised me. I thought we would do more of a cupcake business than lunch. We get at least a new face every day, sometime multiple ones a day. We have regulars who come back. We support local farmers and buy local eggs and corn. Our greens are local. Our honey is local. Our infused oils for our salad dressing is all local. We support also local artists in our store. We have Ralph O’Bryant, who is an 83-year-old woodcarver. We feature toy makers. Soon, we’re going to have local fragrances that are made from organic products grown here in Canton.

Patch: Why did you pick downtown Canton?

Oberkrom: I love small towns. I love the ambiance of it. I love the fact that I’m on the ground floor of downtown turning around and becoming a cool place to hang out. I would love to be a catalyst in having a nightlife in downtown Canton and having a walkable community, and seeing it come back to life.

Patch: How are you integrating into the community?

Oberkrom: I am participating in every event (Canton) has. We donate to . We sponsor local charitable golf drives for children. We do a lot of donation to local charities and nonprofits. We support the theater (and) have done concessions. I build gift baskets. I’ll shop downtown Canton and build gift baskets so (people) don’t have to walk to the whole downtown if they don’t want to. I’ve visited each business owner and given them my menu. I love to collaborate with people. Instead of being a competitor, we’re all a team.

Patch: What are the advantages and disadvantages to opening during the economic downturn?

Oberkrom: I really researched what kind of business to open. Even though this was my passion, I waned to make sure it would be profitable and how long would I project for it to be profitable. Ice cream shops and bakeries are in a recession-proof section. If you manage them correctly, they’re supposed to be recession-proof. There are challenges to it because, even though people do eat out, there’s a price break. I was starting out with really large jumbo cupcakes, and people would think, wow, that’s more than really I could eat. Even though it looks luscious, that’s more than I want to spend. I had to work around what I thought would work in this market. It’s different if you open up in downtown Canton than if you open up in downtown Roswell. I moved into offering hot specials, like homemade down-southern type specials. When (some people) see the Soul Food Market, they think I offer macaroni and cheese and ribs, so I offer a soul food special every day. That picks up some jurors and judges and attorneys in addition to regular customers.

Patch: What sets you apart from similar businesses?

Oberkrom: We don’t just sell a product. We provide hospitality and a refuge for people, and we pray for our customers. Since Canton is the county seat, people come here for things that are sad (such as business at the court). We are a refuge. We provide scripture for everything that is given to a person. If we see (sadness) in their eyes, we ask if we can pray for them. We’re here to be a comfort and a refuge for people in addition to serving great homemade food.

The Soul Food Market is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.