By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
In October 2024, Theo Martin made a pivotal decision to rename his Kirkland restaurant, Arleana’s, to Island Soul Kirkland. The name change was more than a rebranding; it was a nod to the deep community ties and reputation of Island Soul, Martin’s original restaurant in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood.
While the legacy of Island Soul has roots in his father, Loy Vadus Martin, Arleana’s was part of Martin’s personal tribute to his mother, Lula Arleana. However, what started out as a family-owned barbeque restaurant in the Central District of Seattle, Island Soul, under the leadership of Martin, has grown into a cornerstone of the community serving soul, Caribbean, and French dishes, while also serving as a gathering point for people from all walks of life.
“My father originally owned it, and he started a soul food restaurant called Judkins Barbeque, where he served just southern food,” Martin said. “He, unfortunately, fell ill, and I then started running the restaurant and eventually after he passed, I found myself owning a restaurant, and left my job at Nordstrom’s after 20 years.”
“I didn’t want his restaurant to go away. So, we took the barbeque concept and twisted it with a little more Island cuisine mixed with it, and came to ‘Island Soul,’” added Martin.
Aiming to create a menu that made his customers feel like they were eating their mother’s or family members’ good home-cooked food and couldn’t wait to come back, Martin said that building a menu where soul food meets Caribbean cuisine came from what he described as ‘food roots’ growing up.
“My love of Caribbean food and, of course, soul food led me to build the menu,” Martin said. “I always say it’s food roots, the food that I always enjoyed growing up. When I had an opportunity to make it happen, I found a chef who was from Jamaica, and combining his style with the food we already cooked every day, we came up with the fused menu.”
While he didn’t realize it at the time he opened Arleana’s in 2023, Martin says that Island Soul as a brand serves as a way to honor both of his parents. The original Island Soul in Seattle carries forward the legacy of his father, who founded the soul food restaurant Judkins Barbeque. But after hearing customer after customer express their familiarity with Island Soul and its unique menu of Caribbean and soul food, Martin realized the importance of aligning the Kirkland location with the well-loved Seattle brand, and offering the same menu that has made the Columbia City location a local favorite.
“I didn’t know how Island Soul has touched so many people throughout the 20-plus years. It got to the point that every time somebody came into the restaurant, they would always say, I heard this is owned by Island Soul, I heard that you guys share some of the same dishes. They wanted to compare me to Island Soul, but it was no comparison,” Martin said. “And once I changed the name I 100% noticed a change in more people coming in because they always would go to Island Soul in Seattle.”
“It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because there were a lot of people who knew the brand, knew the quality, knew the food, and even though Arleana’s was really similar, the name did not have a reputation like Island Soul, everyone just knew they were related,” he added.
For Martin, choosing Kirkland for the second location was an intentional decision tied to his personal history. Having spent his formative years in the city from first through ninth grade, he saw Kirkland as a natural extension of his family’s legacy.
“I spent first through ninth grade in Kirkland, and I would always go back to that area to visit my principal and teachers. It was a small, cool area where you could walk everywhere and be surrounded by water,” Martin said. “The older I got, I realized that everybody knew everybody, and it was just a very good community, that felt like a small Columbia City.”
As a second-generation entrepreneur, Martin continues to build on the legacy of his parents by honoring the values they taught him and his sister. It is a legacy that he thinks about every day and one that he does not take for granted.
“We love the smiles, the families, and the friendship we receive,” Martin said. “My mother ran a daycare for over 50 years that is still around, and my sister is running it, and here I am running my father’s restaurant, which was started in the ’70s. We are talking about a restaurant and a daycare center that have been in our family for over 50 to 60 years.”
Martin said that his family doesn’t see the work they are doing as just a simple labor of love but rather a lifestyle that allows them to carry on his parents’ legacy and build something that will continue to be transformational not only to his family but to the community as well.
The transition to Island Soul Kirkland has reinvigorated the restaurant, bringing in loyal customers who associate the name with quality and familiarity. For Martin, the change reflects a deep commitment to his family’s legacy, his love of community, and his passion for sharing good food with the people he serves.
“This is definitely the way they raised us, and we enjoy what we do,” Martin added. “We are making a living and raising our family out of it as well.”
