Q &A with Jusus (Chewy) Chavez

By Bob Cox

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your restaurant and what makes it so special?

A: Our food is fresh, just like homemade. When you come in to Chewy’s, we’re going to treat you with respect and do everything possible to make a nice dining experience. I just want people to know that we’re here and we would appreciate their business.

Q: Your vision is to serve great tasting Mexican and American food. How did you come up with this idea?

A: Since I’ve been in the food industry for a long time running cafeterias, deep inside I wanted to be open to the public and at the same time I wanted to be different from everybody else. When I came up with the idea of offering both American and Mexican food, I wanted my customers to have more options.

Q: Speaking of options, do you offer your customers healthy dining choices?

A: Yes! We have healthy food options. We also have traditional dining options, so everyone will be satisfied. If you look at our breakfast menu, you can substitute potatoes for healthier options like tomatoes and cottage cheese. We also have gluten free bread. For people who are watching their cholesterol, we serve egg whites.

Q: Do you charge extra for healthy options?

A: No. Every item can be substituted at no extra cost, except our gluten free bread which is 50 cents more.

Q: Do you offer healthy options on the Mexican food menu?

A: Yes, with our burritos, people can substitute flour tortillas with whole wheat tortillas. As for the ingredients, you can choose refried beans, pinto beans or black beans. We have Spanish rice, brown rice and house rice, which is my own recipe and people like it very much!

Q: I love your barbeque bacon cheeseburgers! What’s your secret to making such tasty hamburgers?

A: We use real Angus beef, our ingredients are all fresh and our buns are baked locally every day.

Chewy: As far as the sandwiches and hamburgers I offer my customers the option to choose whole wheat hamburger buns. When people walk into the restaurant the first thing they will see is the tortilla press and if they want a burrito, as soon they come up to the register we make the tortilla fresh. It’s something that you have really never seen before so it’s pretty cool (not sure if you want to add this part as Chipotle does the same thing and Freebirds World Burrito… there other things that make the restaurant unique but not this). This is what I offer to my customers.

GFI: And you have a really clean restaurant. You have remodeled and it’s beautiful in here. It’s very comfortable too. I am a booth guy, so it’s nice to have booths to be able to sit down and eat.

Chewy: Like I told you before, I just wanted to do something different. Getting a nice and clean place for my customers… so far I have been getting many compliments.

GFI: Now you mentioned that your nickname is Chewy so obviously that’s where your restaurant name came in. When did you get that nickname and how long ago was that?

A: Well the nickname is something I was born with. I’m known as Chewy down in Mexico and over here too. I called the restaurant after my nickname because to me it was kind of funny because down in Mexico we would write my name different than here so how my name was spelled in English I kind of like and thought it was catchy.

GFI: So when you were little somebody nicknamed you Chewy? Was it your parents?

A: Most of the people in Mexico with the name Jesus have that nickname. Why? I don’t even know. That is how I got my name though.

GFI: Tell me about your experience coming to America. How old were you and what was going on in your life?

A: When I came to this country I was 23 years old and I just graduated from a university down in Mexico. The way things are in Mexico is so different than here because down there you need money to get good jobs and since I come from a very poor family it was very hard for me to find a good job. I never thought that I was going to come here to be honest with you, but I did with the idea that coming to this country no matter what I was going to succeed. It was hard, but with God on my side, being persistent, and knowing what I wanted in life helped make things easier. It was just hard work and determination and over the years I was able to accomplish the goals that I was committed to accomplish… and here I am. To me, as a person and human being, the most important thing in life is my family, my kids, my wife, and all I want to do is build them up, set them up, guide them, and have them be good and independent people in life. So far, it’s been working. I have 4 beautiful kids and they are studying to go to school. One of my girls is going to Sac St. and the other kids are going to High School. My family and business are my life. I told you before that I’m working with (Sutter community hospital? Can’t understand) running one of the multiple traffic areas. I’m working on their premises, using their equipment, the only thing I do is run the whole operation on their premises and so far it’s been great because I’ve working especially with this company SVS (Sutter Physician Services) it’s a sister company of Sutter Health. I have been working with them for over 9 years and I cater for them, and not just for them but all people who need my services. I did work for Campbell’s soup for 8 years. Over the years I have been able to establish good business relationships with these companies which are great and I have nothing but good things to say about them.

GFI: I really admire your courage and your drive because you came to this country without an understanding of the language or knowing a single person over here. You took that leap of faith and you went for it.

Chewy: And I am not taking all the credit. God is with me and if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be where I am today.

GFI: When you came here to United States you were in the restaurant business from the very beginning right? You started as a dishwasher.

A: Yea and it was funny because when I came to this country I didn’t know anything about this life but for some reason I was able to get a job at this place down by Arden Way and Howe Avenue called Huey’s Diner. I started off doing dishes and don’t get me wrong a job’s a job, but I thought I deserved better so what I did was do dishes at night and then get up early in the morning to go to school for ESL and over the years I was able to learn the language. I still have a strong accent but the main thing is to be able to communicate with people and I am able to do it. So I went to school and then from that point I was able to get up to the position of assistant manager in a one and half year period of time. It was because I knew what I wanted. It wasn’t easy, but knowing what you want is the most important thing in life I think.

GFI: Well you definitely have that passion, spark, and what it takes to be successful in life.

Chewy: To be honest with you (I wanted to do this?) to give back to my family. Back then I wasn’t married yet. I was a single guy, but I knew that my mom and my dad gave back a lot to make me into the person that I am today and I really owe it to them so I just really wanted to do something for them. Over the years I have been able to help out.

GFI: Do you get to go to Mexico and see them?

A: My mom died a couple of years ago but every Sunday I call my family out there – my dad, my brother and sister – how are you? How are you doing? I just want to get in touch with them and I don’t get to this over the phone (wants to see them?) but talking to them makes me feel really good. I have been here for a little over 23 years and I haven’t missed any Sunday’s talking to my family. I would see them, but I am a very busy person so I only get to see them maybe 2 or 3 days or a week at the longest. It’s the price you pay when you have a business to run and a family to take care of. It’s my story – I’m a simple guy who just wanted to do good. Also, let me add that I am so grateful to this country. I think this country is the land of opportunities because in Mexico so many things are out of reach. This country has given me too much. I am very grateful and just happy to be here living this life with my family.

GFI: Well I’m glad you’re here too. In a weird sort of way it’s a good thing everything worked out the way that it did because it gave us an opportunity to meet and I think your story is going to inspire a lot of our readers. I think they are going to look at their own lives and say my goodness this man came here without knowing a single person and leaving everything he knew behind to go after his dream… What’s stopping me? It puts everything in perspective.

Chewy: I think the only thing really stopping people is themselves because to me there are no limits to what I can do. That is just what I think personally. If you want something you can get it. I tell my kids anything that what the mind can believe it can achieve.

GFI: And you traded that off though – you definitely paid a price. You left everything behind to start a new life here, worked extremely hard, were extremely focused, and like with everything when you achieve something you have to give something up. You gave up a lot to receive a lot and you have given a lot.

Chewy: And to me it’s knowing that if you give you will receive. Just the fact that I’m able to give to whoever makes me feel good. I am here in this world for a reason and living this life is worth it. Giving is a joy. Receiving, I don’t even think about it. It doesn’t necessarily have to be money – it could be time, love – intangible things that you don’t see that at the end are the things that are worth the most. When I was growing up I was very insecure and I had a lot of fear. Why? I don’t know, but I realized I was very insecure and I have a lot of fear in my soul and I didn’t want to be that person. I knew deep inside there was the Chewy getting ready to be set free and I worked a lot on setting myself free. I taught myself reading a lot of books and good stories to motivate me and be the person I wanted to be. Being persistent I was able to do that. The Chewy you see today is the Chewy that wanted to come out and live this wonderful life.

GFI: Is there anything you wanted to add?

A: Basically just to tell people around this area to come to the restaurant and try the food. They won’t be disappointed. It’s a new concept – it’s different.

GFI: And I can tell you Mic (microphone), this food is awesome!

Chewy: I started giving my customers the best service they can get. Customer service (somehow is kind of missing out there?). People especially in these times – not people in general, most of them (don’t know?) what real customer service is. Here, I am 100% sure that every time my customers come they will get the best customer service they can get anywhere. I want to make a difference.