The Rainier Valley Post has a great interview posted with Theo Martin, the owner of Columbia City’s Island Soul. Click here to read the whole thing and find out a bit more about this key player in the Columbia City scene:
Most people know him as the warm and friendly owner of Island Soul Caribbean Cuisine Restaurant & Catering in Columbia City (RVP advertiser), but Theo Martin also owns Northwest Industrial Staffing — an employment agency dedicated to finding work for others.
“I like to help people go from being $15/hour temp workers to full-time, permanent employees,” he said. “I’ve been there, so I know how hard it is to make that transition.”
Most days, he’s up by 4 am to run the staffing firm before pivoting over to restaurant responsibilities — like greeting guests by name and making sure the chef has everything he needs to serve hungry crowds. Yet he still makes time for lunch with his wife of nearly 30 years.
This week, Theo was kind enough to answer a few questions for your RVP’s People in Your Neighborhood column, a space dedicated to highlighting the unsung heroes of the southeast Seattle community.