Staff Writer

Alvin and Vivian Bostic said they wanted a restaurant that not only satisfied a person's appetite, but also fed his soul.

So, the couple opened Soulful Divine Dining on 1222 South Duncan By-pass. Country dinners with various selections of meats and vegetables are offered, along with some short orders such as burgers.

The Lord's Prayer is framed on the wall and at the checkout counter Alvin has a container for prayer requests. He and Vivian both are pastors, he at Living Waters Deliverance Center on Main Street and she at the Columbia branch of the church.

Alvin said he looked at the property where the restaurant is located and initially considered moving the church there. He prayed and the answer seemed to be to open the restaurant.

“The Lord gave me the name and some vision and prophesy about it,” he said.

“We wanted it to be a Christian restaurant with a Christian environment,” Vivian said.

Vivian, who also owns and operates an alterations shop on Main Street, comes in early in the morning and starts cooking and returns in the evening after her shop closes.

Alvin is available not only as host, but also for spiritual help for someone in need.

“If someone has a prayer request, they can leave it with me and I'll pray over it,” he said. “Some people come to me personally and have prayer right here in the restaurant. That is why we call it Soulful Divine Dining.”

“You can get your belly full and your soul full all at the same time,” Vivian agrees.

Alvin said he feels God has given him a gift for healing the sick and many people he has laid his hands on during his ministry have been cured of an illness.

“We want to be able to help people,” he said. “Those who wouldn't come to church might come to a restaurant.”

Employees at the Union County Courthouse often get together a lunch order from the restaurant.

Sue Farr with the Treasurer's Office said she enjoys the collard greens and fried chicken.

“It's moist and cooked just right,” she said. “Everything I have had is really.”

Meals include a meat and two or three sides. Tuesday's menu includes barbecue ribs, fried chicken, baked ham, candied yams, macaroni and cheese, rice and gravy, cabbage and green beans.

On Wednesday, the meats include sausage sauteed with green peppers and onions, fried chicken and cubed steak with the sides being squash casserole, corn, string beans, macaroni and cheese and rice and gravy.

Liver and onions, pork chops and fried chicken are Thursday's meats. The sides are turnip greens, macaroni and cheese, rice and gravy, creamed potatoes, field or crowder peas and string beans.

On Friday, the meats are fried fish, fried chicken and country fried steak. Sides include potato salad, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, rice and gravy and sweet peas.

Saturday's meats include stewed beef, spaghetti and fried chicken. Sides are cabbage, corn on the cob, stewed potatoes , lima beans and string beans.

Baked chicken, fried chicken and pot roast are offered on Sundays with potato salad, macaroni and cheese, rice and gravy, mustard greens and green beans.

The restaurant is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. A private dining room is available for groups. The phone number is 427-7414.