By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
What do you get when you combine one of Birmingham’s most popular restaurants with the city’s most renowned food influencer?
On August 8, Jake’s Soul Food Café in collaboration with LaDarrius “LHUT” Hutcherson is bringing the LHUT Meal to its locations in Hoover and Tuscaloosa.
Since 2022, Hutcherson has amassed nearly 120,000 followers on his social media platforms with his review of local Birmingham restaurants and activities. And the LHUT meal will feature the influencer’s favorites: salmon as the main protein, accompanied with white rice, cabbage, plantains, and a small skillet of cornbread.
Christina Renteria, CEO of Jake’s Soul Food Café, said she wanted to make sure that every element of the meal “screamed” LHUT.
“It’s All Him”
“It’s all him,” she said. “It’s all about what he likes. It’s all about what represents him. Everything that you’re gonna see leading up to the actual launch of [the meal] on August 8 is all him shining through food, through this representation, through marketing, through everything.”
Hutcherson said, “When doing this, I wanted it to be something exclusive to me. Together, [Renteria and I] decided that the protein should be salmon, [even though] it’s not currently on the menu. … I love salmon, and people who follow me know that I love it. That’s my go-to. It’s no secret.”
Also available with the meal will be the LHUT drink: “It’s a mocktail Lemon Drop,” said Renteria.
“We are a family-friendly restaurant, and we do not serve alcohol,” she added, “but we wanted to make sure the drink was something [everyone] could enjoy. … Even if you bring your kids or your teenagers, you all can be cute and fancy [sipping the LHUT] drink together.”
The LHUT Meal will be available at Jake’s Soul Food Café for a limited time at both locations: Fridays through August, and then on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until the end of November.
The “Only Option”
When Renteria had the idea for a collaboration, she had only one name in mind — “LHUT,” she said.
“He was my only option. I knew I wanted to do a collaboration with someone who was consistent in what they’ve been doing, someone you’ve seen grow, someone that was in the food-influencer industry because we’ve never seen a restaurant, local or even national, do this kind of collaboration with an influencer. I thought it was a great way to bring together two industries that no one would think of.”
Just so happens that Renteria and Hutcherson crossed paths at an event they happened to both be attending. “I was at the table with my partner, and I said, ‘He’s right there. I’m gonna shoot my shot,’” recalled Renteria.
“I got up, went over, and talked to him. It was just genuine and direct, and I said, ‘Look, I have this idea I want to talk to you about — and you’re my only option, so you have to say yes.’”
Renteria continued, “I want to show the community, I want to show our industry, I want to show our city, our state, and even beyond, whoever it reaches, that there can be community among all industries.”
“Divine Timing”
“It was an honor to be considered,” Hutcherson said. “I feel like, at this point, Jake’s is a household name. If you’ve been to Birmingham, if you’ve been anywhere surrounding Birmingham, you know of Jake’s, you’ve heard of Jake’s. They have a really good reputation. I’m all about aligning myself with brands that are consistent with where I’m trying to go with my brand.”
“I also believe in divine timing, and I believe in things happening organically because this, of course, was always the idea I had for myself. For it to come to fruition the way it did, to me, says everything it needed to say: ‘This is God.’”
Hutcherson added, “I’ve seen other not necessarily influencers, but celebrities, do these collab meals. Whether it’s through McDonald’s or Popeye’s, it’s always kind of curated based on what’s already on the menu. I think what makes this menu special is that it’s something Jake’s doesn’t currently offer.”
The launch date of August 8 was especially important to Hutcherson because of what it represents in his life.
“It was my grandmother’s birthday. She passed in 2021,” he said. “This is a big deal for me. Not only is the collaboration a huge deal for me, but the date makes it even more special.”
“The Power of Collaboration”
The LHUT Meal is just one part of the collaboration between Hutcherson and Jake’s Soul Food Café. In September, Renteria and Hutcherson will host a conference titled “The Power of Collaboration.” The event will be held on September 27, at The Harambe Room (1815 4th Ave. N., 3rd Floor, Birmingham, AL 35203).
“It’s really going to focus on showing and teaching how to do collaborations,” said Renteria. “My background is in legal and in business. I’m going to be talking about the legal way to create a contract, what should be included, what is a win-win situation when you’re doing a partnership or collaboration, and what’s the difference between [the two].”
Hutcherson will speak from an influencer perspective on how he negotiates, how he makes sure he’s covered legally, and how influencers help with projects.
Want to experience or order the limited-time-only LHUT Meal? Visit here for tickets or one of Jake’s Soul Food Café’s two locations — Hoover (3075 John Hawkins Pkwy, Hoover, AL 35244) and Tuscaloosa (3615 McFarland Blvd. E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35405). And you can follow LaDarrius “LHUT” Hutcherson on Instagram and TikTok.
