Marco’s Express moves to Swansea, with plans to offer indoor dining soon
Marco’s Express, formerly located at 1401 Lebanon Ave. in Belleville, recently made the move to the Soulcial Kitchen campus at 127 North Belt East in Swansea.
“We’re really excited to be here” and couldn’t be happier, said owner Andrew Huch, who runs the business with his wife, Ashley Huch.
According to Andrew, the restaurant closed at Lebanon Avenue on Wednesday, Feb. 15, and reopened in Swansea the following day.
Everything “happened quicker than we thought,” said Andrew.
He said everyone was excited and he was impressed with how quickly the entire staff acclimated to their new digs.
The restaurant is still only offering delivery and takeout, but Andrew said they should be open for indoor dining by the second week of March.
Marco’s Express takes up the building previously known as the Soulcial Kitchen Restaurant & Bar, which opened in late October 2021.
“We’re thrilled to have the highly respected Marco’s team … become part of the Soulcial Kitchen campus family and lead restaurant operations,” stated Soulcial Kitchen founders John and Holly Michel in a recent release.
“Integrating this beloved local brand with their passion for delivering an exceptional culinary experience with the most popular elements of our Soulcial Kitchen menu will create a powerhouse offering.”
So how did this move happen?
A win-win move
Marco’s Express was always a takeout and delivery operation, but the Huchs wanted to move to a space that would allow customers to dine in.
Andrew said their customers have been loyal and supportive over the years. He also acknowledged that the Lebanon Avenue location was not centrally located enough to attract new customers.
John Michel was looking for someone already established in the area with an existing customer base, according to Andrew.
He said Michel reached out to Marco’s Express employees that often came to the Soulcial Kitchen to pick up meals.
Andrew said a mutual friend of his and Michel’s got them together.
In November, Michel spoke to the Huchs about his Currency of Caring program, which works to help alleviate food insecurity in surrounding communities.
Andrew said Marco’s Express received a lot of community support over the years, and he and Ashley feel strongly about giving back to the community whenever they could.
The Huchs already participate in multiple fundraisers, including Pizza for a Purpose, which raises money to help local veterans and their families.
What Michel proposed would allow Marco’s Express to up the Huchs’ game in helping others. At the same time, the restaurant would be able to operate in a larger, more visible location.
Done and done.
Food & drink
Andrew said Marco’s Express will continue to specialize in the pizza, pasta and calzones they are known for.
The menu is mostly the same. Andrew also said they dropped a few items but added many more, including a new specialty pizza and some Soulcial Kitchen crossover eats.
This includes:
Single Smashburger
The OG Smashburger
The Southern Comfort Smash
The Italian Bistro Smash – a single patty smashed with fresh mozzarella, basil, tomato, a balsamic reduction and garlic aioli on a brioche bun
Championship Pulled Pork
Smoked Turkey Sandwich
Dirty Ribs
Marco’s Express currently offers specials on weekends, featuring dishes with made-from-scratch, handmade pastas, and meatless Monday meals.
These offerings can be found on the Marco’s Express Facebook page.
When the restaurant opens for indoor dining in March, not only will folks be able to enjoy the cuisine, they can also enjoy a variety of beverages.
On offer will be a selection of beers, signature cocktails and mocktails.
The bar includes five beer taps, one of which will rotate to feature local brews.
The restaurant’s general manager and self-taught mixologist, Alyssa Reinhardt, is working to develop a variety of signature cocktails and mocktails for the restaurant.
She’s developing recipes for cocktails that include a smoked old fashioned, a smoked Manhattan and a bacon-infused whiskey.
Reinhardt also wants to provide a mocktail for each corresponding specialty drink they will offer.
I was able to enjoy a strawberry basil mocktail during my visit, made by Reinhardt.
This non-alcoholic version of a Moscow mule was soooo good!
In addition to the delightful beverage I had, she’s created mocktails that include a dragon fruit Long Island iced tea, a blueberry pomegranate martini and a chocolate martini.
Once open for indoor service, I look forward to seeing what other offerings she comes up with.
Growing business, growing family
I was fortunate to get a quick peek at the restaurant’s kitchen (where the magic happens).
Andrew said it’s about four times larger than their Lebanon Avenue kitchen.
It has separate stations for making pizzas, pasta dishes, salads and Soulcial Kitchen menu items.
He said the staff “fell into it quickly,” and things are running smoothly.
They also have some new equipment to play with that includes the smoker outside the kitchen off the patio area, which holds eight tables.
The restaurant’s indoor dining area contains 15 tables and bar seating.
Marco’s Express is “basically a family restaurant,” said Andrew.
Not only do he and Ashley own and run the restaurant, Ashley’s sister works front of house, and her mom helps with deliveries.
The Huchs’ four children can sometimes be found on site too.
Andrew said the baby is happy to sit in a high chair and say “Hi” to everyone that comes in, while their oldest, at 13, told her parents that she’s ready to take on hostess duties.
There are currently 12 employees working at Marco’s Express, including the delivery drivers. Andrew and Ashley agreed they will likely expand their team. (Anyone interested in joining the team can apply in person.)
Andrew said he looks forward to summer when the whole Soulcial Kitchen campus is in full swing. It will give them maximum exposure to current as well as new customers. It will also provide the chance to let the chefs really shine.
“We couldn’t be happier,” he said.
About Soulcial Kitchen
Soulcial Kitchen, the metro-east’s first established food truck park, opened in September 2021.
As a mobile cloud kitchen, the mission is to offer a variety of foods via delivery, pick-up, catering and food trucks.
The park started by featuring five food trucks, including A Fine Swine, El Guaqo Taco and the Space Shuttle Café.
The building was opened in October 2021 as the Soulcial Kitchen Restaurant & Bar, offering fare from each of the operating food trucks and the Soulcial Kitchen Smash Burger Co.
The outdoor seating area provides plenty of space for families to eat and play and to enjoy live entertainment on weekends.
In addition to bringing Marco’s Express into the fold, John and Holly Michel have plans to further develop and add to the full Soulcial Kitchen campus.
John Michel said once some of Soulcial Kitchen’s many moving parts are more firmly established, they plan to devote more time to their original purpose: addressing food insecurity in the area through the Currency of Caring program.
As new information becomes available about the developments on Soulcial Kitchen grounds, I will keep you posted.
About Marco’s Express
Marco’s Express opened at 1401 Lebanon Ave., Belleville, in March 2009 under the ownership of Mark Onstott, who also established Marco’s on Main, Shenanigan’s, Tavern on Main and T2 Taps & Tapas.
Andrew bought the business from Onstott in January 2017.
Marco’s Express is now located at 127 North Belt East in Swansea.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
All orders are currently delivery and takeout only. Indoor dining will be available by the second week in March.
For more information or to place an order, call 618-235-5500 or visit marcosexpress.net.
This story was originally published February 27, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
