Hughes Springs’ Legacy Event Center is one of the most outstanding and is regularly booked solid. Meeting above are delegates to the Association of Rural Communities in Texas which advocates for rural needs before the Texas Legislature.
Acting out to show how much they liked the soul food presented the Association of Rural Communities in Texas at their regional meeting in Hughes Springs Sept. 20 are, from left, Charles Edwards of Paris, Daingerfield City Manager Keith Whitfield and John
LaTonya Arthur’s open-air food truck has a true specialty. It’s soul food. The Daingerfield resident is making a successful career of taking her food to the public. The secret? “Soul food is made with love,” she said.
Soul Food
Little did delegates to the Association of Rural Communities in Texas anticipate it, but they were going be treated this day of Sept. 20 to soul and love food.
That’s what the menu for the day-long conference called for, as the public servants met in Hughes Springs for lessons on governmental policy. It was the statewide organization’s first time to come here.
“We’re used to fish, barbecue, maybe steak,” said one ARCIT member at noon break. “But soul food? Now this is really different ... and good. Take any five people in this room. Any five. Ask them. I bet they’ll agree.”
If the delegates did agree, it would be to acclaim LaTonya Arthur of Daingerfield, the caterer. She’s had a soul food truck for three years. First, she owned a business as a professional tax preparer. But her real love, she tells, has always been food preparation.
“Now my soul food has gotten me out of the tax business,” said the 1965 graduate of Hughes Spring High School. “I love it.”
What’s soul food? Well, that’s LaTonya’s key. It’s not so much difference in food as different preparation, she says.
“It’s food made with love. You have to put love into it. From your soul. To be soul food you have to take pride in it. You have to love to do it.”
It’s not all roses, however. LaToya said she didn’t sleep well Sunday night waiting for the ARCIT’s Monday meeting.
“This was my biggest catering job. I was nervous. But we’re really surprised at the way everyone’s enjoying it.”
The “we” in LaTonya’s words includes her son, Quincy Jimmerson, who helps.
LaTonya has seen her food truck business grow in recent years. She moves the truck around and has gotten more into catering.
“We’re looking to go the Gilmer East Texas Jamboree October 18-21. That’s a big event.”
LaTonya said her decision to go into the food truck world was hinted to her when she realized she enjoyed Thanksgiving as her favorite holiday.
“I realized it was because I had so much fun cooking and preparing, and people said they liked my food so much,” she said.
“You ought to sell your food,” they said. “And so I did.”
LaToya’s business is officially called J&T’s Po’Folks and can be reached by phone at 903-844-6140 or 903-331-9219.
The delegates who attended the ARCIT regional meeting gained another surprise. Many, if not most, said they were surprised to be meeting in Hughes Spring’s outstanding Legacy Event Center. This meeting place is so artistic and well presented that some who attended said it rivaled larger cities in convenience and appreciation. They said they were surprised and impressed.