Next Saturday, Seniqua Smith will realize her dream of becoming a restaurateur next Saturday, Aug. 3, when she’ll host the grand opening of her first eatery, Seniq’s Variety Café.

“It feels great to be pursuing my dream,” she said.

Smith, who spent 20 years as an educator, the first 11 with Headstart and the other nine with Selma City Schools, plans to carry the community service skills she learned as an educator into her restaurant.

“I made a big step coming from education into the restaurant business,” she said. “But I’ll still be serving the community.”

Seniq’s Variety Café was inspired by Smith’s travels to cities like New Orleans and Mobile.

“I wanted to bring a little piece of that back to Selma,” she said.

According to Smith, the café will serve a rotating daily special of a meat and two vegetables as well as a constant collection of sandwiches, burgers and salads.

Smith says that Seniq’s Variety Café will be open Tuesday- Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Monday and Wednesday nights from 5-9 p.m. and on Fridays from 4 – 11 p.m.

Smith plans to bring some of the music of New Orleans to Selma with jazz and blues bands on the first Friday of each month.

In opening her restaurant, Smith believes she is doing what others in Selma need to do in order to create a thriving city.

“If people start bring businesses to downtown, people will come to Selma and eat and shop and relax downtown,” she said.

For Smith’s grand opening, she’ll be handing out a free taste of what the café will have to offer with hotdogs, chicken, baked beans, green beans and salad.

The free event will take place from 4 – 7 p.m. and will feature live music and games and entertainment for kids.

“Come out and be part of something positive,” said Smith. “Support the people downtown.”