Colorado Springs has soul. Food that is. 

Now open at the former Hooters in The Citadel mall, Stix & Soul Kitchen was founded by the trio of Lewis Cox, wife Francesca Cox and business partner Richard Perea. Originally envisioned as just a pool parlor by Perea, Cox and Perea found the idea of adding a full-service soul food kitchen dramatically increased interest in the venture.

For Cox, running a restaurant is the culmination of his family’s generations-long desire to own and run a restaurant, he said. And it involves one of his lifelong passions: cooking.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do. My mom’s always wanted to do it. My grandpa, my grandma, we always want to have a family restaurant,” he said.

It’s a family business through and through. Francesca is the general manager and runs the front end of the restaurant, Lewis heads up the kitchen and their kids may be seen at the counters, doing various tasks to keep things running smoothly, he said. 

And Cox wants the place to feel like the customers are showing up for a large family gathering. He treats customers coming in as if they are family. 

He asks for patience as Stix & Soul is serving up comfort food, not fast food.

“If you come out, just be patient with us because we’re cooking for you as if you were at home,” he said.

The old Hooters — which closed in March of last year — made the most sense as a location to Cox and Perea, he said. By January, the lease had been signed, paving the way for some minor renovations.

The restaurant’s soft opening was March 8. A grand opening is planned once the restaurant gets its liquor license approved, Cox said, adding he anticipates that happening within a month. For now though, the restaurant will not be serving alcohol.

A string of shootings over several years has hurt The Citadel’s reputation. But the mall has since taken steps to improve safety in and around itself, such as adding security gates to control access into parking lots and an armed security patrol.

Cox said he is happy to be part of what might just be a budding renaissance for The Citadel.

“We’re blessed to be a part of bringing it back to life,” Cox said of the mall. “There are a lot of (small businesses) opening and growing in the mall and we’re all communicating and praying that this is the right decision.”

On Sundays, Cox said the place fills up rapidly as people head home from church. Given his upbringing in the South, Cox said he is happy to pray over the plates of food with customers before they eat, saying he and his family “were raised like that.”

“My passion is cooking, my passion is entertaining people and shaking hands… Because I’m a people person,” he said.

Cox also owns and runs a paving company, C&H Asphalt. He calls that business his “bread and butter,” saying it is what got him to where he is in life today.

Cox will still own and be active with C&H, he said. For certain aspects of both businesses, he trusts in his employees enough to run things. But for cooking the soul food at Stix & Soul Kitchen? He’s the front man, he said.

Menu options include a catfish platter, fried chicken, a “hometown classic” burger, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and a Philly, among other options. Sides include collared greens with turkey, “Lou’s Smack and Cheese” — one of Cox’s specialties — black-eyed peas with turkey and garlic mash potatoes. The soul food is served Thursdays through Sundays; more typical bar fare is Tuesdays and Wednesdays; the restaurant is closed on Mondays.

“I’m bringing the South to Colorado because it’s about time to open up a new trend that we really don’t have,” said Cox, whose family roots extend to Mississippi. “When you’re cooking food, people want to feel and taste the love in it. … That’s why it’s called soul food. It’s coming from the heart, from the love.”

More information can be found on Stix and Soul’s Facebook page.