Soul Luxe is a full – service catering business providing high quality food with a Southern flair.
The vision of pairing culinary knowledge with Soul Food, occurred to Chef/Owner, Jeffrey K. Vaden, while competing on a reality TV show on the Food Network.
The contestants had to have a “culinary point of view.” Jeffrey didn’t have one, so he went with what he knew best: a strong culinary knowledge as a Culinary Institute of America graduate with lots of experience in the foodservice industry and inherent Soul Food skills.
Although Jeffrey did not win the competition, he left with a greater understanding of his talents and an invigorated direction for his business.
Jeffrey has been cooking almost since birth and entertaining friends and clients since college
(Jeffrey is also a graduate of Howard University). In 1988 Jeffrey started his first catering business, J.K.’s Pomp & Circumstance, while under employ of the prestigious Maximes’ Restaurant in Granite Springs, NY. Soon after, in 2000, he opened his first restaurant, JK Restaurant & Bar, in Peekskill, NY and continued to cater from there as well.
As life happens, when Jeffrey lost his mother in 2005 he sold the restaurant and took a few odd jobs to keep occupied while putting the culinary arts on-hold. In 2007 Jeffrey was ready to go back into the foodservice industry and began plans for his next venture; a to-go Soul Food establishment. It was at this time that he received e-mail from a restaurateur colleague regarding casting for the Food Networks’ reality show, The Next Food Network Star. Jeffrey auditioned and was called back several times before being selected as a contestant on the show! These were the humble beginnings of Soul Luxe. When Jeffrey left the show, he drew up the business plan for Soul Luxe Caterers and incorporated the business. 
Today Soul Luxe serves the Greater NY tri-state area and provides luxurious Soul Cuisine as well as World Cuisine to its many customers, graciously and with flair. Jeffrey still has plans to open the to-go Soul Food restaurant and is patiently waiting for a prime location at a fair price.
