We had the good fortune of connecting with Martika Wells and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Martika, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. My mother moved us to Plano the summer after I turned 12. However, my southern roots have never left me. My experience with food started only two years before our big move to Texas. That’s right! At age 10, my mom allowed me to cook meals for her and myself on nights that she would work late as a retail manager. Now, don’t get me wrong, those meals were nowhere near as elaborate as some of the recipes I have developed over the years now that I am 30.
I recently shared with someone else that these meals were comprised of some sort of meat that I was only allowed to bake, a boxed starch like rice or Kraft macaroni, and a canned vegetable. I also had four go-to seasonings that I always saw my mom use that made everything taste good. Those top four at that time were garlic powder, onion powder, McCormick black pepper, and Morton’s Season All seasoned salt.
I’m making mention of this because this is where my initial passion for food began to spark my self-expression, have a significant impact on my creativity, and most of all it laid the foundation that built my confidence in everything I create up to this very day.

What should our readers know about your business?
Solely Soulful Southern Cuisine, LLC is a southern scratch-made ghost kitchen located in the DFW Metroplex. Solely Soulful is most known for being the home of the meal deal serving the best soul food hidden in Dallas. The flavor of my food is unique to my Mississippi roots. My menu offers various delectable dishes, signature sips, and desserts that have become fan favorites of everyone who has had the opportunity to have a taste. Anyone who has not had the pleasure can now try my delicious dishes by ordering lunch plates and family meal deals on market share platforms like DoorDash, GrubHub, and EZ Cater.
I also offer customized meal planning and preparation services for my clients who have specific dietary requirements. Solely Soulful Southern Cuisine, LLC also offers drop-off and full-service catering for any event. I take pride in my ability to communicate professionally with all of my clients & the operations that are a part of each and every service that I offer. I enjoy task-planning menus, executing those planned tasks, and organizing those tasks while keeping all of my attention on every detail.
This passion project turned business has not been easy by far but has definitely been an experience worth my while that I wouldn’t go back in time to change if I had the opportunity to do so. I have learned so much about myself along the way. I can say that the best advice ever given to me was to start where I am and to give myself the grace to grow from there. I am always researching and absorbing knowledge that pertains to all things food and all things business. My business allows me to expand on my capabilities and recognize my strengths while remaining aware of my skills.
A lesson that I have learned along the way is to manage my time wisely, by executing my priorities first. I also like to take my bigger task and break them down into smaller tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed. I believe in taking breaks throughout my day to allow my mind an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. These breaks are also when I check my notifications and create content because if I do these two things during my schedule blocks I notice that I will become easily distracted and side-tracked from work that must be done.
All-in-all Solely Soulful Southern Cuisine, LLC is a brand founded upon the love for food and the many connections that food can bring. I like to consider myself a soul food connoisseur because I love developing simple recipes into luxury-gourmet meals.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When my family comes from Mississippi to visit Dallas we always eat at Southside Steaks and Cakes a minimum of three times while they’re visiting on a week-long trip. Southside Steaks and Cakes is owned by a couple by the name of, Chris & Nicole, who treat me like family each and every time I walk into their restaurant. It’s hard to recommend just one thing when dining in with the Southside family. Their menu is similar to mine by offering a variety of options with something created for everyone. I can say that my favorite Texas Cheesesteak is Plain Jane. My favorite wing flavor is Cajun Southern. I also love the Hood Tacos which are cheesesteak-style street tacos and their remix fries. Be sure to leave room for dessert because they offer funnel cakes and have a new menu item called the Peanut Butter Paradise which also received the Big-Tex Choice award for the 2022 Texas State Fair.

Not many people in my family drink, but for anyone in search of a good daiquiri shop I recommend checking out Mr. Cajun’s in Forney. Mr. Cajun is a New Orleans native bringing his Creole roots to the DFW Metroplex. The deep-fried Catfish is highly recommended to soak up all the liquor that the daiquiri will be giving. There’s definitely no one in Dallas serving real full-sized catfish like Mr. Cajun.

I’m a very private woman. I recommend hanging out with family at Pinstacks. My favorite location would have to be the Las Colinas location. I always reserve a private VIP lane for bowling which really elevates the experience. Pinstacks also has good food and drinks, excellent customer service, and clean areas.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This year, back in the middle of May, I was connected through a friend in business with an organization known as the PlugHub Network. The PlugHub Network is a social club that hosts various types of networking and vendor-related events that bring brands and influencers together. The hub, as we refer to it in short, has given me so many resources and tools for not only the organic growth of my business but the awareness of my brand as well. I have attained countless opportunities by having this connection to the plug. The founder, Jordan Walker, has helped me develop strategic approaches toward long-term goals by sharing his perspective no matter what time of day I call him. This may sound selfish, but I view Jordan as a mentor designed by God just for me. However, I also know that he was also designed to help other entrepreneurs just like me. An entrepreneur who has a vision and wrote a plan to attain the vision, but was in search of being surrounded by like-minded motivated individuals who encourage you to be the best version of yourself. Jordan & his team are very transparent people with a nonjudgmental easy-going spirit and understanding hearts.
I definitely recommend any entrepreneur reading this article to check out their website to explore all of their free digital marketing resources at plughubnetwork.com. They can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.

Website: https://solelysoulful.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solelysoulfulsc/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesoulfulcook/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaRealNakedChef

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MartikaMone

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6QRQCst506XbjGekXT5g7Q

Other: Snapchat: @martikathenewme TikTok: @iam_thesoulfulcook

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.