A New Soul Food Restaurant Has Opened in Johnson County

UPDATE: 3/28/23

Royceann’s Soul Food Cottage is officially open for business! The new restaurant opened inside the South District Market in Iowa City at 947 Hwy 6 E on March 25th. You can check out photos from the grand opening HERE.

ORIGINAL STORY: 2/13/23

Get ready for more great food in Iowa City!

According to a new article from the Iowa City Press-Citizen, a brand new soul food restaurant is set to open next month in Iowa City! The restaurant is called Royceann’s Soul Food Cottage and it's owned by Royceann Porter, the former Johnson County Board of Supervisors Chair.

If you attended the 2022 Juneteenth celebration in Iowa City, then you've probably already tried Royceann's delicious cooking! She served some free food at that event, as well as other events in the community. A recent Facebook post from Royceann says that the menu at her new restaurant will include fried chicken, pork chops, mac & cheese, spaghetti, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and more. Oh, and don't forget dessert! Customers will be able to choose from pound cake, banana pudding, and sweet potato pie.

Royceann’s Soul Food Cottage is going to be located in the brand new South District Market in Iowa City. The market, which was formally announced last summer, is located inside the old Slumberland Furniture building at 947 Hwy 6 E. The space can host up to five restaurants/retail businesses and will officially open this March. The Corridor Business Journal reports that the ribbon cutting event will take place on Tuesday, March 28th.

As of right now, Royceann’s Soul Food Cottage is the only vendor that has been announced for the South District Market, but the market's Facebook page promises that "exciting announcements about shopkeepers" will be arriving over the next few weeks. You can follow the page for the latest updates!