Food Insider: Tacobi Butler of Community Bakery and Heavy on the Soul

Like many of the food personalities we have interviewed over the past 10 years, Tacobi Butler’s story begins at a young age inspired by family. It is a passion that has grown into her becoming the kitchen manager for Community Bakery and launching her own meal prep service, Heavy on the Soul, which focuses on soul food.

“My grandmother had me in the kitchen cooking greens at 5,” Butler explains. “I knew from that age that I wanted to feed people when I grow up.”

Tacobi’s restaurant experience didn’t start in the kitchen, she worked as a bartender and server at various locations around Little Rock. When she landed at Community Bakery two years ago, she started off as just a regular employee. Her hard work and dedication quickly moved her up the ranks to supervisor and eventually kitchen manager earlier this year.

“I love the opportunity that I’ve had here,” Butler says. “While Community Bakery has a strong traditional menu that we make every day, I get to be creative with lunch specials and daily soups to bring my own flair.”

While Community Bakery was able to give her the stability of an established brand, it afforded her the opportunity to get even more creative by branching out on her own with Heavy on the Soul, her own catering and meal prep service.

“I love to focus on modern interpretations of soul food,” Butler tells us. “It is fun to reimagine ways to make traditional soul food dishes.”

Heavy on the Soul focuses on catering and family style meal prep. She does plates on Sundays for picking up and usually post that week’s plate on Thursday or Friday. Customers can order on social media through Facebook and Instagram.

Tacobi says she would love to start her own soul food restaurant someday. Until then you can check our popup dinner at Community Bakery with her this Friday at 6pm. It will be a four course, plated dinner featuring her modern take on soul food. Part of the proceeds go to support the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center here in downtown Little Rock.

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