Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonte’ Griggs.
Jonte’, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Just Stuff It was born the moment my daughter took her first bite of table food. Everything I would cook, she would just stuff in her mouth, and Boom – we had a name! But before we got the name it was all just a dream. I got started because of the love and passion that I have for food and it showed in everything that I made. So much so that my husband started asking me why this wasn’t my career. I was working in a hospital as a maintenance dispatcher and I would daydream about how to make it a reality. I had a friend that was working in film and she said if you had your business, I bet I could get you a gig catering on set. So then, the drive to start my catering company became that much deeper, but I still didn’t jump. I hated my 9-5! I had a girlfriend that started a cleaning business and we began swapping services. I would prepare meals for her that would last for the week and she would clean my house. I started posting on social media and others started asking me to do their meal prep. The next thing I knew, I am making menus and calculating macros. Soon after, I picked up a few steady clients. The best part is that my husband invested in my dream and helped make it a reality. We found a DHEC approved kitchen space, got a business license and booked our first wedding. Our first big break was when we got the chance to finally cater for the set crew of Top Chef when they were filming in Charleston. It was for three months and about four days a week. It was an awesome experience! Things picked up from there and we haven’t slowed down since.
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth road? What does that feel like? LOL. This journey has been trial and error all along the way. Blood, sweat, and tears! But it has truly been worth it. I’ll share my big “oops” moment. My very first wedding I was so excited. I planned out everything. However, I didn’t think to account for extras or if the wedding party ran late. It was a disaster. I wanted to ball up in a ball and cry. In fact, I did cry- a lot! I thought maybe I wasn’t cut out for this. What if this wasn’t my lane? Maybe all I am is a home cook! But I had to shake that moment out my head and figure out what my takeaway was from this very big and expensive lesson. I had to not only learn from it but also develop new processes and procedures from it so that it never happened again. Now, I am known for never running out of food and for big southern style plates! Part of what I learned was making sure I ask the right questions and try to account for the unknown.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Just Stuff It Catering LLC story. Tell us more about the business.
Just Stuff It Catering is a small catering company. We are a licensed, insured, DHEC approved catering service operating out of Moncks Corner, SC. We specialize in corporate catering and box lunches, weddings and various other events, as well as healthy meal prep options. We are dedicated to supreme customer service and food that not only tastes good but is served with a smile. We want you to eat happily and that is the mantra we live by every day.
We are most known for our Mac and Cheese we even won the “Critic’s Choice” Best Mac and Cheese award at the Columbia Mac Off in 2016.
I am proud of the awards that we have received. Every year there is this big event called the Black Taste of Charleston where about 25 different restaurants and caterers participate in either the Sweet or Savory category. This year we won for Best Savory Dish. We served our award-winning Smoked Gouda Crab Mac and Cheese with Bacon Crumble, Sweet Potato Cornbread and our Geechie Gurl Good and Hot wings (made with our very own seasoning blend). It also feels good to have your food well received and for people to be rooting for you. I am extremely proud of the strides that I am making in this industry. Being in Charleston where FOOD is such a big deal it’s awesome to be making moves with some people I truly admire.
I believe that the fact that you can truly taste the love in my cooking sets me apart from others. I really do this for the fun of it. Catering isn’t a job for me. It’s my calling. Does that make sense? I honestly love watching the reaction on someone’s face when they first bite into something that I made. I am nervous with every taste hoping they enjoy it, and when I see that smile on their face and that sparkle in their eye I know I did that. That is special to me and a strive for that feeling, for that reaction each time in everything I make rather its just scrambled eggs to my shrimp and grits.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Charleston is either the number one or number two wedding destination in the nation, so weddings will continue to be a large part of this industry. I also believe there will be more cooking shows coming out of the South, specifically Charleston, and I would love to have a show of my own that showcases how I balance being a Mom of four girls, raising my brother, a wife and an entrepreneur.
The next big step in our own brick and motor building. Right now we solely do catering out of a shared kitchen space. However, the goal would be to have a small location where we could offer good southern food-to-go on a daily basis and a Sunday’s Brunch Buffet.
I also hope to have my special seasoning blends ( Geechie Gurl Good and Hot Seasoning Blend) and my sweet potato cornbread sold locally very soon. As of right now, that can only be purchased through our website.
Pricing:
- Geechie Gurl Good and Hot Seasoning Blend $5.00
- Wedding Packages starting at $16.00 per person
Contact Info:
- Address: 978 South Live Oak Drive, Moncks Corner, Sc 29461
- Website: www.juststuffitcatering.com
- Phone: 843-212-6858
- Email: info@juststuffitcatering.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/juststuffitcatering
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/juststuffitcharleston
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/jsicatering
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/juststuffitcatering
Image Credit:
Lilly Mack Photography- TyroneMcQueen
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