After a night out in Hoboken, chances are someone has recommended the Hangover Burrito from a certain Mile Square gem. We’re talking about D’s Soul Full Cafe — a small shop that’s been nestled on 918 Willow Avenue since 2006. Today, May 8th, D’s Soul Full took to Instagram to share that after 17 years of serving up hangover-curing grub, it is closing its doors after Sunday, May 14th. Read on to learn all about D’s Soul Full Cafe and the announcement of its closure here in Hoboken.
The Closure
The team behind Hoboken hot spot D’s Soul Full Cafe took to Instagram today to share some sad news. “After 17 years, our last day will be May 14,” reads the post announcing the cafe’s “very tough decision” to close doors after nearly two decades in Hoboken. See the Instagram below.
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Owner Stephen Bailey and his team expressed gratitude to the Hoboken community for the eatery’s “crazy years” in The Mile Square — and for locals, the feeling is mutual. The Instagram garnered over 50 comments from Hoboken residents thanking Stephen for fond memories, delicious eats, and a community bond that only a small, locally-owned cafe could conjure up.
As of now, it’s unclear why D’s Soul Full is closing shop, but Stephen shared with the community that more details will unfold in the coming week. As always, we’ll keep you up to date with the latest — but for now, keep scrolling for a brief history of Hoboken’s D’s Soul Full Cafe.
The History
D’s Soul Full Cafe has a “colorful past,” owner Stephen Bailey shared with The Hoboken Girl back in 2019. Seasoned Hobokenites will remember that 918 Willow Avenue was once home to the beloved Bagel Smashery (in 2002, to be exact). This was a town favorite with another location on First Street. The Bagel Smashery’s Willow Avenue location soon changed its name to Josh + Ive’s and slowly began to evolve into more of a sandwich shop.
Read More: Hoboken Burrito — A Hidden Hoboken Gem
In 2006 the shop was sold to Dwight Thompson (the D in D’s), who had big plans for the menu. After a few years of expanding the menu to breakfast burritos, specialty subs, wraps, and more, Dwight decided to change the name and make it his own officially. Finally, in 2010, D’s Soul Full Cafe was born. The history doesn’t stop there, though — in 2011, Stephen Bailey bought the shop (who shared with us that he jokes that he is the ‘s in D’s) and still works with Dwight and their longtime teammate Howard Jones to push the boundaries of comfort food in Hoboken.
In 2019, D’s Soul Full Cafe kept Hoboken fed with its tightly-knit staff.
“The core team consists of myself, Dwight, and Howard,” Stephen said. “We have a wonderful cast of part-timers (Loany, Brianna, Jerania, and Kaylin) who work mainly on the weekends. We also have five regular delivery guys (most of our business is actually delivery),” he shared back in 2019.
The Menu
D’s Soul Full Cafe serves up pure comfort food with a twist. From unique breakfast burritos to sandwiches, salads, soups, and beyond, this is the place most will want to be when craving some feel-good food.
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Owner Stephen shared with us in 2019 that the most popular menu item was D’s breakfast burritos (which can be delivered, we might add).
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In recent years, the restaurant started to attract a lot of vegans and vegetarians having expanded its healthier food choices — and Stephen joked that D’s is “beefing up” its meatless menu. As for owner Stephen, his favorite dish on the menu is the “BBQ Bacon Chipotle Chicken Sub,” at the time we profiled him in 2019.
Beyond its tasty menu, however, there’s more to D’s than simply food. For Stephen, one of his favorite things about being a business owner in Hoboken is the strong community connection and friendships he’s made along the way while running the restaurant.
“The friends I’ve made. That might sound corny, but it’s the truth,” he said. “I’ve watched kids grow up in the neighborhood. I’ve had kids that I’ve known since they were in grade school eventually work for me. I feel like part of these families,” he shared with HG four years ago.
See More: Three Daughters Baking Co — A Family-Run Treat Shop in South Orange
Location and Hours
D’s Soul Full Cafe is located at 918 Willow Avenue in Hoboken — and will operate under its normal hours until closing after Sunday, May 14th. It’s open Monday through Friday from 7:00AM-4:00PM and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00AM-3:00PM. Delivery can be ordered directly through the website. We urge locals to support this local gem in its last week — and we thank D’s Soul Full Cafe for the memories + eats it has filled our hearts + stomachs with over the years.
