'Just trying to do what's right'
<span>SPARTA -- It's easy to see the compassionate side of Just For You Catering Executive Chef/Owner Justin Hewitt.</span>
<span>Hewitt, a former executive chef at McKendree University who trained under Chef Greg Maggi, announced his business's latest initiative on April 27 in a Facebook post.</span>
<span>According to the post, Just For You Catering is offering both active and non-active Veterans 50 percent off of menu price as long as they show a military ID at any public or private event.</span>
<span>"Since I was in culinary school, we'd find low-income families every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas and cook huge meals for them," Hewitt said. "I just always try to do what's right and I have one guy who works for me who has (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and I want to get into helping all kinds of charities.</span>
<span>"It's a win-win for everybody."</span>
<span>In a post on his business's Facebook page, Hewitt said he wanted to start helping "all kinds of different charities and individuals as much as possible" and that's where the inspiration for the discount came from.</span>
<span>"I've been wanting to do it for awhile and I sat down and decided 'Let's do it,'" he said. "It doesn't stem from one little thing, it's something we think a lot more people should do.</span>
<span>"We felt it was right and decided to do it."</span>
<span>Hewitt also asked the followers of his Facebook page to spread the word to make sure Veterans know they are appreciated for their service.</span>
<span>"I wanted to start with the Veterans," he said. "Just trying to do what's right and letting them know they're being thought about and we appreciate what they do for us."</span>
<span>Just For You Catering features all fresh ingredients and no canned foods in its dishes. Hewitt said his signature dishes are red wine-braised beef shank, beef tenderloin with mushroom jus, pan-seared chicken breasts with Portabella cream sauce and a Tahitian fresh berry tart for dessert.</span>
<span>"Our whole thing is trying to uses the freshest, most quality ingredients and offer those around the area," Hewitt said. "We tried to bring something that was a little fresher and it really took off."</span>
<span>Soon, Hewitt is expecting delivery of another element of his, a mobile kitchen that he said could feed 500 people comfortably.</span>
<span>The mobile kitchen includes a 60' x 48' rotisserie commercial smoker, three deep fryers, dual commercial convection ovens, charbroil grill, eight-burner gas range and a cooler.</span>
<span>"The whole unit runs off propane," Hewitt said, adding the smoker can hold 400 chickens at once. "It's self-sustaining."</span>
<span>Hewitt said Chester will be his first stop when the mobile kitchen is operational. When asked what the future goals for his business, which opened in 2011, are, Hewitt said he hopes to "change the catering game in our region."</span>
<span>"Sparta, Chester, Red Bud, Nashville, Pinckneyville, I want Just For You Catering to be the go-to catering in the region for everything from fried chicken to five-star meals," he said. "I have two weddings booked this summer in Chester and I do a lot of work with the Chester Country Club.</span>
<span>"It seems like there's a lot coming out of there and we haven't done a lot of promotion over there."</span>
To contact Hewitt, call 618-615-7429 or email justinhewitt14@yahoo.com.