SOUTHINGTON — A new restaurant serving Latin, soul and Caribbean food is coming to Queen Street.

Not content to just bring something new to town, Shawn Shelton said he wants patrons to experience new dishes each time they visit Prime Indulgence. Shelton is opening the restaurant with his partner Shirley Bradley. They expect to have a soft opening around Valentine’s Day.

Bradley said the restaurant will have a mainstay menu as well as daily specials from different cultures. 

“Just trying to open it up to everybody and not just focus on one culture,” she said.

The specials could include taco Tuesdays and seafood Sundays, as well as offerings centering around Shelton and his chefs’ experience with Latin, soul and Haitian cuisine.

“I want you to be able to enjoy and taste everything I have to offer,” he said. “ … I don't want to stay set on something. I want you to have to come here because you don't know what I have.”

Bradley said they were keeping an eye out for an established location with good traffic when they saw that El Pulpo & Tapas Bar had closed at 1217 Queen St. They also looked at downtown Southington.

Since the Queen Street location was previously a restaurant, converting it to fit their vision was fairly easy. They moved the bar a bit to open up the dining area more and changed the lighting and some of the furnishings.

Both Bradley and Shelton will be coming into the restaurant business from other professions. Bradley is a clinical social worker in a hospice setting, while Shelton has been primarily working in roofing while doing some catering on the side and helping out family members who run restaurants in the Meriden area.

Cooking has always been a passion for Shelton, who went to culinary school and worked at Max Amore Restaurant in Glastonbury after graduating. Prime Indulgence will be the fourth restaurant owned by members of his extended family.

“For me honestly when I cook I love seeing people smile. That's what I like seeing the best… that's what I love,” he said.

dleithyessian@record-journal.com203-317-2317Twitter: @leith_yessian