Best of the West: Carol Hines

By Amanda Barber

This article was originally published by Westside Together, a community-driven initiative to support Charleston’s West Side residents, families, businesses, and partners by working together to create a thriving community for all. You can make a donation here.

Carol Hines was presented with the “Best of the West” award at the Westside Collaborative Meetup this summer. Carol is the founder and operator of a soul food business, Carol’s Soul to Soul. She is also a passionate mentor for the West Side community.

When COVID-19 hit, Carol was laid off from her job as a chef. She says she got bored during this time and started looking for something to do. That is when she decided to start a small business selling chicken wings and fish with fries. Customers began asking for other items, and Carol expanded with different types of foods, sides, and desserts. Some foods she has served include dinners with oxtail, catfish nuggets and barbecue pulled pork, as well as sides such as baked mac and cheese, collard greens, and red beans and rice.

“The customers would not let me stop, which is amazing,” Carol says. “You know, they keep me going, and I just try to keep some good food in the community.”

Miss Carol lives on the West Side while raising her six grandchildren. Several of her grandkids helped her with small tasks when her business started and still assist her today. Carol says her grandchildren truly enjoy helping out and that the customers, as well as the West Side community, know and love her grandchildren.

Carol speaks highly of her 15-year-old grandson, who helps fry the food. “That’s what they call him, ‘the little fry man,’” she says. Her grandson loves talking to customers, making people smile, and ensuring the food tastes good.

One of her granddaughters also helps out, and Carol says she is a great people person. “They love her. She goes out, she talks to the people, makes sure they’re comfortable, makes sure they’re happy – anything that she can do for them.”

Carol loves being a West Sider and values being able to contribute as a leader to the community. Originally from New York, Carol says she has always been the “mother of the hood” no matter where she is at.

She enjoys interacting with the community’s children and keeping them busy with activities. Carol also gardens, which she gets the youth involved in. She says she always tries to mentor the younger generations, whether it is about education, doing the right thing, sports, or other positive ways to create change. Carol has a mission to teach adolescents that there is more to life than running the streets and negative influences.

“I inspire them that it’s more out here than just feeling like you’re lost,” Carol says. “It’s okay to feel lost, but I grab them all up – the ones that look like they need help, and they all call me ‘Mom.’ They call me ‘Mom Carol.’ You know, and I love it, and I will never stop.”

This summer, Carol served food under a pop-up tent at local events such as Live on the Levee and Multifest. She is also looking for a space in a building to start a brick-and-mortar for Carol’s Soul to Soul. Her vision of the physical location is filled with West Side involvement.

“It’s basically going to be like a family-owned, and when I say family, it’s not just my family—it’s the family of the community.”