Colo’s Southern Cafe to close after 5 years of serving soul food in North Sacramento

Colo’s Southern Cafe will close its doors next month after five years of serving soul food in Old North Sacramento.

The restaurant at 2326 Del Paso Blvd. announced Tuesday that it will serve its final meals on Friday, Aug. 1, according to a Facebook post from the business. The post described the cafe as a family-built legacy “with sweat, grit, grind and tears” and expressed hope for a future return.

“This isn’t just a business — it’s a legacy from a husband, wife and their small children built with sweat, grit, grind and tears,” the operators wrote. “With full hearts, full plates, full bellies and full gratitude, we will be back.”

Owners Kevin and Tamar McCree opened Colo’s Southern Cafe in November 2019 — transforming their earlier takeout venture, Cora Lorraine’s, into a full-service restaurant — serving freshly fried seafood, braised oxtails and creamy baked mac and cheese.

Months before opening, Kevin was hospitalized with a staph infection that threatened the loss of two fingers. After four surgeries, the infection cleared while Tamar, with the support of friends and family, made sure Colo’s opened as planned.

The McCrees originally opened Cora Lorraine’s Soul Food stand in South Oak Park in 2014, naming it after Kevin’s two grandmothers. The stand became a staple in Sacramento’s limited soul food landscape.

In Tuesday’s post, the owners thanked their customers, supporters and critics alike, writing, “To the banks that denied us a loan, we still made it on our own.”

The cafe’s final days will include a fundraiser to help settle remaining expenses and potentially support a new location in the future.