Today we’d like to introduce you to Tia Clarice.
Hi Tia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Urban Soul began in 2019 as a simple catering idea rooted in community and comfort food. At the time, we were just cooking for gatherings and special events, food that felt like home but elevated in presentation and experience. The demand grew quickly, and what started as catering naturally expanded into an eatery where people could come in, order to go or for delivery and connect over familiar flavors.
As the business evolved, so did our understanding of how people wanted to enjoy our food. We transitioned into a ghost kitchen model, allowing us to reach more customers while refining our menu and operations. We also spent time serving at the downtown farmers market, which helped us build a loyal following and stay closely connected to our community.
Today, Urban Soul has come full circle, back to our roots in catering, but with the experience and growth gained from every stage along the way. Our focus now is establishing Dallas as one of our catering hubs. Each chapter taught us something different, but the mission has stayed the same: to create plantbased soulfood that feels intentional, comforting, and memorable wherever people gather.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Not long after we found our footing, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything about how people gathered, celebrated, and shared meals. For a business centered around community and connection, that was a hard moment. We had to pivot quickly and make decisions without knowing what the next month or even the next week would look like.
Coming out of that season was almost harder than going through it. We learned that where you’re planted matters just as much as what you create. Because our food is 100% plant-based, location became a real hurdle. We had to be intentional about placing Urban Soul in spaces where our community could actually find us and feel at home choosing something different.
There were also the everyday realities of running a food business, staffing changes, logistics, and learning how to protect quality while adapting the model. At times it felt like we were rebuilding while still operating.
But those challenges gave us clarity. Instead of forcing growth, we returned to what felt natural: serving people during meaningful moments through catering while thoughtfully planning our next steps. Urban Soul today is more focused, more intentional, and more aligned with why we started in the first place.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Urban Soul is a plant-based culinary brand centered around comfort, culture, and experience. We specialize in vegan comfort food, meals people recognize from childhood or family gatherings, thoughtfully recreated without animal products.
Our focus is catering and curated dining experiences where food becomes part of the memory, not just something served on a plate.
We’ve become known for making plant-based food approachable. Many of our guests aren’t vegan, they’re just curious, and they leave surprised that something familiar can taste the same, or even better, in a new way. That moment of discovery is a big part of what we do.
What I’m most proud of is that Urban Soul never lost its intention. Even as the business changed formats, locations, went from an eatery, to ghost kitchen, and now primarily catering, the purpose stayed consistent: creating soulfood meals that feel comforting, inclusive, and welcoming to everyone at the table.
What sets us apart is that we don’t treat plant-based food as a niche or a trend. We treat it as hospitality. The goal isn’t to convince people to change who they are; it’s to give them an experience they enjoy enough to come back for. Our brand lives in the space between tradition and innovation familiar flavors, reimagined with care.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
For me, networking never worked when I treated it like collecting contacts. The relationships that actually helped my business came from consistency and genuine connection.
Mentorship also didn’t come from one formal person. It came from learning from other chefs, business owners, event planners, and even customers. Sometimes a short conversation teaches more than a scheduled meeting if you’re open to it.
What worked best was being present in the spaces where our audience already existed, markets, pop-ups, and community events. Those environments naturally created conversations and long-term relationships because people could experience the brand first, then connect with the person behind it.
My advice is to lead with curiosity and service. Ask thoughtful questions, follow up, and build relationships before opportunities are needed. When people feel your authenticity, mentorship and collaboration tend to happen organically rather than forced.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbansoulmarket?igsh=YXd2ejRrN2ZsbGQ5
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/tiasgreenkitchen?igsh=NG8wbmRuZWpjMmY=
