Southern Butterfly restaurant “cooks with soul” on North Main

April 10th, 2008 at 08:13am Deborah Austin

A new restaurant, Southern Butterfly, has opened at 1406 N. Main St., Rockford, in the spot where the Waffle Inn used to be.  While it offers some “soul food” specials, Southern Butterfly really is a family style restaurant with menu offerings such as club sandwiches, hamburgers and vegetarian dishes, said co-owner Kim Hunt.  “We do say ‘We cook with soul,’” she told me this week.

The restaurant’s other co-owner is Hunt’s mother Earma Maypray.  Both are from Rockford; Hunt has owned two previous restaurants here, Kemra’s Soul Food Cafe and Nawlins.  It’s Maypray’s first time in ownership in the restaurant business. 

 ”She (Hunt) does all the cooking and I do the management — and assist her in cooking now and then,” said Maypray, who had planned on retiring on her 65th birthday this year but decided to join in the restaurant venture to help ensure income for her daughter Kim and grandson Donavon.

Why the North Main site? Maypray also works for the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and she said when her daughter was looking to open a restaurant, ”I thought this would be a good area because i know how hard the city is working to build up this North Main area and the downtown area, and I wanted to contribute.”

While the restaurant does not yet have a Web site, Maypray said she plans to register with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce and get assistance from the chamber in building one.

The restaurant’s specials include include all-you-can-eat fried chicken on Wednesdays and all-you-can-eat pork chops on Thursdays, said Hunt. Fridays are Cajun night with red beans and rice, gumbo, Jambalaya, dirty rice and Cajun corn bread.  Regular menu items are offered during those times as well.

Once the weather gets better, said Hunt, she also plans to offer ribs and pulled pork cooked outdoors but served inside the restaurant.

 Southern Butterfly opened March 9.  For hours and more information on specials, call 815-962-8005.

  

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized