Family-owned food truck gives back to community one burger at a time

(KLFY)– A family-run food truck is giving back to the homeless in Acadiana. Fueled by the community’s contributions, the family hopes to make positive impacts in the place they call home.

At Catin’s Eatery food truck, there’s plenty on the menu, but while you’re choosing a meal for yourself, you can also purchase and donate a meal to someone who may need it more.

“This all paid for tickets, not including what’s on the window,” owner Ronnie Stelly said, holding about thirty food tickets in his hands.

Each ticket on the window represents a free meal for someone in need, paid for by people who wanted to give.

“Catin’s Eatery. Everybody gets fed,” Stelly added.

Stelly and his family only opened Catin’s Eatery eight months ago, but pretty quickly, they learned of a growing need.

“People would walk up, and they’d want a meal. We really couldn’t afford to feed them,” he told News 10.

So, Stelly started to pay it forward. In three days, they collected nearly 100 meal orders, and Stelly said he’s ready to give them out to those who need a helping hand.

“They can come here, and we’ll feed them a meal,” he said. “We get enough meals, we have plans to maybe go to some soup kitchens and feed everybody, and the meals are paid for.”

The man behind the ‘Catin Burger’ said all he wants is to give back to the community he loves.

“We’re called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and it’s not about us,” Stelly said. “We’re just like a vehicle for it, and people are doing it. It’s not us. It’s everybody else.”

His son hopes he can pick up the torch.

“Hopefully I can run this just like my daddy does, and thankfully, I can cook almost like him,” Stelly’s son, Dereck, added.

Catin’s Eatery food truck will be parked at Grand Marche Shopping Center at the corner of Johnston Street and Camelia Boulevard from Tuesday through Thursday.

The eatery will be parked at Marcello’s Wine Bar on Johnston Street from Friday through Sunday.

They are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday. On Sundays, their hours are 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Mondays, they are closed.

Catin’s Eatery burgers are made with local beef from Coastal Plains Meat Company in Eunice.

Stelly also gives a special ‘thanks’ to the owner of Marcello’s Wine Bar, Tim Metcalf, for allowing him to park at his business for free and help with the cause.