Celebrity’s Soul Food adds sparkle to homestyle comfort

As a caterer, Dr. Fredrick Jacobs prepared homestyle food for famous actors and performers including Steve Harvey. While on Harvey’s set, he watched people open doors and bend to the whims of the famed comedian and host of Family Feud.

“One day, I thought to myself, ‘What if everyone could be treated like that?’” Jacobs said.

So, he opened a restaurant that rolls out the red carpet for everyone – literally.

At Celebrity’s Soul Food Restaurant, which debuted last week in Ocala, customers do indeed approach the restaurant by walking a red carpet. An all-in-black host graciously opens a castle-like door and greets all who enter with a smile.

The star treatment at Celebrity’s is “a loving message,” said Jacobs, who was born and raised in High Springs. “Especially at this time in our country. Treating our customers with care is absolutely necessary. It’s needed not only from a food perspective but for the sake of gathering of our community and people.”

Along with drafting his affordable approach to the star treatment, Jacobs conceived how to make soul food enjoyable to people of all backgrounds and income levels across the United States. The entrepreneurial side of Jacob’s brain kicked in, challenging him to apply his celebrity-style “quality casual” concept to a franchise chain.

“What I wanted was to provide a fine dining experience at a quality casual price,” Jacobs said. “My objective was to make people feel like, ‘Man, I just snuck into a four- or five-star restaurant, but I only had to pay 10 or 12 bucks.’”

Jacobs, who learned to cook from his mom, persisted past brick walls and closed doors over the past five years. He opened “pop-ups” (one recently in Gainesville), and after five years of trial and error, he enlisted an executive chef, David Giusto, and opened his flagship restaurant in Ocala last week in the former Craft Cuisine location on Easy Street.

Outside, a Roman Empire-meets-21st century facade with columns and a gold logo. Inside, soft jazz settles customers in with a mellow vibe. Metallic accents, black chairs and soft gray tones lend sleek sophistication while revelers in a glass-partitioned VIP room enjoy some privacy. Towering cushioned booths convey just a touch of deco. Everyone’s a VIP at Celebrity’s, Jacobs emphasized, pointing to a couch where customers enjoy tapas and cocktails.

Employees fastidiously clean surfaces and place “sanitized” signs on tabletops. A server-bot shows off dessert options and complimentary tapas. The sleek decor reveals Jacob’s less-is-more fundamentals – quality touches within reach to create an upscale restaurant illusion. Keeping things simple, fresh and not over-reaching seem to be at the core of Celebrity’s’ decor and its menu.

Down-home favorites are elevated with herbs and artful plating. Dr. J’s Fried Whole Chicken Wings, which Jacobs calls his specialty, arrive after a 24-hour marinade, light breading and spices, crispy on the outside, tender inside, doused with edible gold dust. Linda’s Sweet Souffle pays homage to Jacobs’ mom, who originally inspired the recipe.

Staples like honey-glazed cornbread and stone-ground cheese grits share the spotlight with black-eyed peas confit and vegan-style braised collard greens. Options for keto, vegetarian and gluten-free preferences are all included on the menu.

International spices and recipes infuse traditional favorites. Sauces range from Italian aioli to tzatziki sauce from Greece to benne, derived from an aromatic West African seed.

A red velvet cream cheese dessert provides a luscious mouthfeel and more gold sparkle.

There are 50 Celebrity’s locations in development, Jacobs claimed. They are full-service (like the Ocala location) or quick-service. Franchisees, aka team members, are strongly encouraged to give back to their communities through time, products or services. They support local charities and organizations, particularly those that assist families and address homelessness and food insecurity.

“When we developed the concept initially, I wanted to empower individuals who had spent years in the hospitality and the culinary industry – executive chefs, shift GM people who know what it means to work 80 hours,” Jacobs said. “They may have kept their credit together. They haven’t necessarily been able to get funded or the support that was needed to open their own place. … So what I want to do is have Celebrity’s be a place of empowerment for individuals who have a passion for the industry.”

Celebrity’s Soul Food Restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. www.celebrityssoulfood.com.