2021 – Year in Review

As each year of business ends, I am more just astonished at all we have accomplished. As a little small, family owned business, it is so impressive the amount and quality of what we continue to put out.

Even with the universe, seemingly, against us.

The 2020s haven’t been easy. First a pandemic in 2020 (and that’s a whole thing – check out last year’s review) and then a whole new set of challenges in 2021: supply chain issues that continued to drive up food prices over 30% and a labor shortage that has left the entire food industry severely short staffed. Then add on variants and such…it’s been a hard year, to say the least.

But dang, it’s been a good one. In 2021 we:

  • Over $20,000 worth of food, monetary means, and skills donated in and around our community.
  • Spent 3 weeks on the border feeding those who serve our country.
  • Partnered with 5th Squad to feed 100 veteran families for Thanksgiving.
  • Partnered with Shower Power to feed the homeless in Downtown Jackson.
  • Became the official caterer for the Mississippi Braves, catering their events and feeding the players before & after home games, including the visiting teams.
  • Catered 5 movies in Mississippi.
  • Completely re-did the front of our store (it’s so cute! Just a few more finishing touches).
  • Started in-house dining for our hot plate lunch.
  • Best of Rankin County nomination for Best Caterer in 2021 by Hometown Rankin Magazine (for the 3rd year in a row).
  • Best of Mississippi nomination for Best Caterer in 2021 by Clarion Ledger.
  • Best of Jackson nomination for Best Caterer in 2021 by Jackson Free Press.

…and this doesn’t include the day to day operations of feeding our local people good homecooked food during our hot plate lunches or from our coolers & freezers. Hands down the most food we’ve produced, but it’s just the beginning. We have so many weddings, movies, and more already booked for 2022.

And as we celebrate the beginning of our 4th year of business in January (WOW), we cannot begin to express the gratitude we feel. As 2 food-passionate people who have built this business from scratch, without investors, it has been a whirlwind 3 years. But feeding our community in the day to day, catering life’s special events, representing Mississippi as we welcome Hollywood into our backyard, feeding those in need and contributing to our community in anyway we can…..these things give us so much life.

Thank you for supporting us from the beginning. Thank you for letting us feed you in so many ways. Thanks for coming into our kitchen and laughing with us and telling us about your life.

Just so thankful. And oh 2022 is gonna be full of good stuff, too!

Sending so much love & life your way as we begin the New Year.

Paul & Jordan Yamas, Chefs/Owners, The Hungry Goat

2022 COVID update

As we start year 3 of this and with the recent record breaking spikes in COVID cases, we wanted to remind you of what we are doing to keep our customers & employees safe during this time. By this time, we are pros at it!

  • Employees are required to wear face coverings in the front and when dealing with customers. Customers are highly encouraged, but not required, to wear masks.
  • Vaccination/Boosters are highly encouraged (but not required) of employees. Currently 2/3rds of our staff is fully vaccinated & boostered.
  • Hand sanitizer is readily available and placed around the store for use by employees & customers.
  • Hard surfaces are frequently sanitized throughout the day.
  • A 24 hour working chemical is sprayed on hard surfaces every night throughout the building.
  • Sanifog fogs the entire building twice a week for an even deeper sanitation.

We are very proud to do everything we can to keep our employees & customers safe.

If you have any questions, please email jordan@thehungrygoatcarryout.com.

Updated COVID Protocols

Per an email sent out to our email list on 7/30/21

Dear The Hungry Goat community, 

Throughout the pandemic, we have made the safety of our staff & customers a top priority. We are continuing to do so, of course, and want to let you know of the measures we take:
  • Our employees, regardless of vaccination status, are wearing masks for their safety and yours. 
  • Customers are not required to wear masks, but are very highly encouraged.
  • Over 75% of our staff are fully vaccinated! 
  • As food handlers, we take sanitation seriously for food safety. We have also added extra chemical cleaners to sanitize hard surfaces throughout the day. 
  • Sanifog, a local deep sanitation company, has been spraying every surface throughout the restaurant since March. Feel free to scan the QR code at the door to see all our sanitation dates. 
  • If curbside pickup makes you more comfortable, please call us ahead of time to place your order. Feel free to order from what we have available. But if you need something else, we can give you a date/time it will be ready for you. When you arrive to pick up your order, call us again at 7692338539 to let us know where you have parked.
  • We will remain open for walk-ins, of course. Feel free to come see us at 1006 Top Street, Flowood.  

Thank you so much for sticking with us. We look forward to continuing to support each other during these challenging times. If you have any questions, please email Jordan at jordan@thehungrygoatcarryout.com.

We love our herd! – Paul & Jordan Yamas, Chefs/Owners

Thursday 2/18 update

Hey Herd!

Chef Jordan Yamas here. It’s been a pretty icy week. Due to these unsafe weather conditions, we have been closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. BUT the very thick, slick ice appears to be turning into slush – just enough for us to make it back out to the restaurant and finally cook for you.

Since we have not been able to cook all week and will have a super skeleton crew tomorrow, our menu availability and options are gonna have to be a little flexible (and we hope you understand)!

We will be cooking our little tails off for you because we know the grocery stores are slim pickin’s – and so are open restaurants. We have plenty in the freezer and will still do Takeout Thursday (that means 10% off your entire purchase). All items that will/can be made to put in the cooler will be posted on our Facebook page. CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.

We won’t offer our hot lunch plate, but we will offer HOT FAMILY meals (2/18 only). That way, you can feed your family a hot meal that you dont have to cook (because we are all tired of it after this ice storm).

Each hot family meal comes in 1 size and will feed 6ish people (and some probable left overs). If you think you will need more (or want for sure leftovers), we suggest purchasing an additional meal. The menu below is the ONLY meal we are making HOT – but we have plenty of items in the freezer and will list options in the cooler for you to pick up to take home. Hot Family Meal is not elegible for Takeout Thursday discount or any other point redemptions/discounts since it is already discounted. It will include 1 large entree and 2 medium sides with a gallon of tea of your choice.

HOT FAMILY MEAL MENU:

  • Poppyseed Chicken with White Rice, Lima Beans, 6 rolls, 1 gallon sweet or unsweet tea – $84
  • Shrimp & Grits with Green Beans, Field Peas, 6 rolls, 1 gallon sweet or unsweet tea. – $84

These options will be available between noon and 4pm (close) tomorrow. All hot items are first come, first serve. If you want to pay to reserve your meal and designate a specific time to pick up, please email us at jordan@thehungrygoatcarryout.com with your meal option and time of pickup. Pay reserve is highly encouraged.

We hope that this will be of help for everyone during (yet another) historic event. We’re just so dang excited to get back in the kitchen and cook.

And in case you’ve missed it – in order to off-set the expense of us not being open, we have a discount going on for e-gift cards of $50+. Great way to get some ‘goat cash’ or treat a family member, co-worker, best friend, parent with some home cooked, good food – and it goes straight to your inbox. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE.

We’ll see you tomorrow!

2020 – a year in review

In 2020, we closed 2 locations. We furloughed our employees for a quarter of the year. We fought against public fear of restaurants. We lost all caterings. And we dropped down to only 7% of our sales. We nearly lost it all.

But I’m so thankful our story doesn’t end there. For much of the year, that is all that sat in the forefront of my mind. All the negative was my only reality. I was fearful of loosing it all – because it was so quickly slipping through my hands. We were struggling to keep the restaurant doors open and the lights on at home. And it wasn’t from a lack of hard work, it was a rapidly crashing economy. And there was nothing I could do but pray.

The kindness that came from our friends, family, and customers was so touching. The way y’all cared for each one of us brought tears to our eyes daily. Checking in on every employee and their family. The thoughtful gifts. The kinds notes. Sharing tears together. The constant encouragement. You know who you are – and there is some amazing karma in store for you.

But like I mentioned, our story doesn’t end there. There were so many sweet things that came through the hardships of 2020. Even though it hurt to close 2 locations in communities we absolutely loved, we knew it was the best thing to keep us alive. But in it, we were able to get back to the basics – making good, quality, small-batch food that is perfectly delicious. Even though we had to furlough staff, we saw many of our beloved team move to bigger & better things as they changed careers and poured into their children. We said hello to new faces when we rehired, and we are thankful for what they bring to our business. Yes, we lost about 93% of our sales, but we built strong relationships with our customers and found new, creative streams of income. We did special pre-order forms, neighborhood deliveries, started serving hot plate lunches, and did a lot of individually packaged foods.

We came together, as a herd, to survive through 2020. We comforted each other, poured into our community. We ended the year with record breaking holiday season and some caterings returned! We were busy – and oh so happy to be busy again.

Who knows what 2021 holds. But I am confident that, together, we can survive. As 2020 tried its hardest to crush us (and at times, it succeeded), I say that we won the war. So bring it on, 2021. We got this.

Here are some fun stats for 2020 carryout (as of 12/29/20 – 6:30pm) – doesn’t include catering/special events:

  • 2750 rolls of toilet paper given away (March – June)
  • 425 rolls of paper towels given away (March – June)
  • 2,000 K-N95 masks generously donated from Lowe’s for giveaway – yes we stilll have some!
  • 40,185 items sold
    • 14,935 entrees
      • 2,445 poppyseed chicken
      • 1,109 chicken enchiladas
      • 1,112 shrimp & grits
      • 877 chicken & dumplings
      • 703 lasagna
    • 4,654 sides
    • 2,666 shareables
      • 941 chicken salad
      • 574 corn dip
    • 2,719 soups
    • 5,722 desserts/breads
      • 1,073 chocolate cakes
      • 1,033 banana puddings
      • 1570 heath bar cookies
  • Over $15,000 in food and monetary donations to food banks, schools, and local charities
  • 2nd year in a row nomination for Best Caterer (Best of the Best Rankin County) – we get the results from voting in January.
  • Chef Jordan won Top 40 under 40!

Even through a pandemic that left us in 7% of our normal sales, we are so very humbled for each person we fed this year. Through our estimations, we fed over 250,000 meals this year (including caterings and special events).

We love what we do. We love the people we cook for.

THANK YOU.

As long as God above allows us to serve our community, we are forever thankful for His grace to do so.

PS: Make sure you are following our Facebook & Instagram profiles! We have a lot of great photos and albums from the year, and adding more!

Limited Time Delivery Option

With precautions being taken throughout the community, we have decided to offer a limited time delivery option for all your Hungry Goat needs. This way, there is no need to fight long lines at the nearly empty super markets, and you can feed your family through canceled events, department shutdowns and school closures. The staff at The Hungry Goat want to help out as much as we can.

Delivery Terms:

  • $50 subtotal order minimum
  • $10 delivery fee
  • Orders with subtotal of $150 or more will be delivered for free

To order:

Call 601-919-3499 (Grants Ferry location) to place orders for delivery. Lines are open from 10am til 6:30pm Monday through Friday. Saturday 9-4.

Delivery will be Wednesday and Fridays. Cut off days are Monday at 6pm for Wednesday delivery and Wednesday at 6pm for Friday delivery

——————————————

Available menu – subject to change:

Shareables (sold by the pint):

  • Chicken Salad – 10.50
  • Corn Dip – 10
  • Pimento Cheese – 10
  • Texas Caviar – 10.25
  • Greek Feta Dip – 12
  • Caramelized Onion Dip – 12

Soups (sold by the quart):

  • White Bean Chicken Chili – 12
  • Seafood Gumbo – 20
  • Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice – 12
  • Tomato Basil – 12
  • Navy Bean Soup – 12
  • Taco Soup – 12
  • Chicken Noodle Soup —12

Entrees (S 13.5 / M 24 / L 48):

  • Poppyseed Chicken
  • Chicken & Wild Rice
  • Chicken & Broccoli
  • Dr. Pepper BBQ Chicken
  • Chicken Tetrazzini
  • Chipotle Meatloaf
  • Lasagna
  • Beef Stroganoff
  • Spaghetti
  • Dr. Pepper BBQ Pulled Pork
  • Lemon Pepper Pork Loin
  • Basil Pesto Chicken
  • Whole Roasted Chicken
  • Chicken and Dumplings

Veggies (S 7 / M 12 / L 21):

  • Lima Beans
  • Green Beans
  • Field Peas with Snaps
  • Creamed Spinach
  • Roasted Fall Veggies
  • Loaded Potato Casserole
  • Macaroni and Cheese
  • Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Desserts/Bread:

  • Signature Cake – 15
  • Banana Pudding – 6/12
  • Cookies – 6.50 pack of 4
  • Cornbread – 4.50 pack of 4
  • Mexican Cornbread – 4.50 pack of 4

All orders will be taken over the phone, only. Delivery time will be selected when order is placed. Payment must be received at time of order.

We hope this takes a stress off your back during this time. Stay safe, share your toilet paper, and wash your hands.

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS

To our loyal customers,

At The Hungry Goat, we are taking necessary precautions to do our due diligence to keep our customers and employees safe. Along with added cleaning features and standard strict hand-washing policies, we are confident in our business model and it’s ability to feed people, safely.

We don’t have long lines or dine in services. And by purchasing something pre-made, you can avoid crowded grocery stores and packed restaurants. It is also safe to take with you on trips so you can still enjoy your vacation without exposing yourself and your family to unnecessary pathogens.

Stay safe and please wash your hands,

Paul & Jordan Yamas, Owners

TOP 5 – nominated Best Caterer in Rankin County

We were thrilled when we found out in November that we had been nominated for Best Caterer in Rankin County. We were even more stunned when we realized we were Top 5!

In our first year of business, we catered many events. Every month, we booked more catering than the month before. Our catering department grew and grew. We continued to order more cambros (our transportation items that keep everything piping hot), more serving pieces, and more chafers!

So when we got the notification of the nomination & the Top 5, we did a little dance for joy. Several people have come up saying they nominated us and voted for us in the final! THANK YOU.

Thank you to all of our customers and amazing team for making this nomination possible!

We were up against some steep competition this year: Fresh Cut Catering & Floral, Three Peas in a Pod, Georgia Blue, 4 Top Catering, and us (The Hungry Goat).

Paul & Jordan enjoying the Red Carpet Gala celebrating Top 5 Nominees & Winners.

With much anticipation, we hired a babysitter, got dressed up, and made our way to the Gala! We enjoyed some food and some drinks while we waited on our category (Best Caterer) to come up.

Unfortunately, we didn’t snag the popular vote, but it gave us a great goal for this year. Congrats to Georgia Blue!

We are so humbled and grateful to have been nominated, Top 5, and even make it to the Gala. We cannot thank y’all enough for your support of our small business and making our dreams come true! And if you need ANY catering this year (office, banquets, meeting, etc)….call us!!

2020 is already looking grand – and it’s just getting started!

Holiday Menu FAQ

Hello friends! We are getting some questions about the holiday menu, so we are going to add them here (with the answer), and update it as much as possible.

Do I have to order a holiday package?

No. You do not have to order a holiday package. You can order items a la carte. See the menu for sizes & pricing.

Can I add items to the holiday package?

Yes! You can add any items to your holiday package! Want to add a couple sides or more bread? We can definitley do that!

Can I use my loyalty points?

You cannot use your loyalty points on holiday menus items.

Can I special order an item for my allergies?

We cannot guarantee cross contamination with such a busy season. So, we are not doing offering any special items for allergies. We are so sorry.

Are you using the same recipes as What’s Cookin’?

No. We are not using any of their recipes. They are amazing cooks and had a great business, but we are a new business with our own recipes. Paul and Jordan have over 30 years combined experience as professional cooks, and love bringing restaurant quality food to your table.

Is the cornbread dressing available right now?

Yes. Anything on our carryout menu is available for purchase until the spring menu rolls out. So yes, you can come get some cornbread dressing now.

When can I pickup my items?

At time of ordering, you will select your day. Pickup days are only Monday – Wednesday, November 25-27. Monday and Tuesday will be regular hours. Wednesday we will be open from 6am to 6pm. We will be closed Thanksgiving Day.

Do I really have to pay at time of ordering? I’m not comfortable giving my card info over the phone.

We completely understand. We assure you we won’t sell your information. It is going directly into our system and being processed for payment. If it still worries you, please come in and order. Payment is needed at time of order to make pickup days faster and more effecient. We expect to be busy from open to close, so this will keeps lines a lot smaller. Also, you don’t have to worry about payment at pickup! Just pickup and head home! Easy, easy, easy! If you do decide to wait on payment on a holiday package, you will not be given any of the discounts, but will be charged the full amount of $195.

Will I pick it up hot?

No. Your meal and/or a la carte items will NOT be hot. Everything will be fully cooked, but not hot. Your items will come with heating instruction. Just heat and serve.

Is everything fully cooked?

Yes – everything will be fully cooked. Even the meat. Like we said, easy easy easy!

Can I order some parmesan crisps? What about pecan muffins?

Unfortunately, they are not on our holiday menu. We have a lot of great options, so please refer to the menu for available items.

Why aren’t you doing pies? You’re only doing cakes?

No pies. Yes cakes. We have decided to forego pies this year because every family prides themselves in their own family tradition of pie making. Our cakes are absolutley fabulous and will be a great addition to your table of sweets.

Can I order some sausage balls to pick up next week? I see they are on the menu!

They are not on our carryout menu, only the holiday menu. Holiday menu pickup times are only Monday – Wednesday, November 25-27.

Will your regular carryout menu be available to buy during holiday pickup?

Yes – BUT it will only be what we have in the freezer. We are hoping for a full freezer, but we won’t be cooking from that menu that week. You will not be able to special order any carryout menu items that week, either. Our focus is only holiday orders. Thanks for understanding.

October 2019 at The Hungry Goat

The fall weather is teasing us, but we are deep in fall dishes and treats here at The Hungry Goat.

When I think of fall, I think of the fair, chicken on a stick, and pumpkin stacks at Cockrell’s Farmer’s Market. The leaves turn, I dream of camping with the family, and I always spend more time outside. My dogs are much happier, the grill is always going, and there is food galore on Saturdays. There is a deep air of gratitude that makes everyone a little happier.

The temps may still be in the high 80s most days, but The Hungry Goat is decorated top to bottom in Halloween & fall decor. Lots of plants, mums, spider webs, and flying ghosts grace our presence.

As I am writing this, Paul is making his first official batch of cornbread dressing of the season. The smell of cornbread with the trinity is so tempting. When he offers me a taste, I can’t help but jump up with eagerness, spoon in hand.

Halloween:

Next week (Monday, October 14), we are releasing our Halloween treats – ghostly cupcakes & Halloween brownies. They will be available for purchase individually or by the dozen. They are perfect for your child’s Halloween party! We will also be hosting a giveaway to nominate a class for free treats for their Halloween party (Rankin County Schools only – details will be released soon). Starting October 28th, we will be hosting trick or treating!! Kids can come in their costumes, take pictures in our Halloween photo booth, and trick or treat for some candy & fun little goodie bags (we will have allergen friendly options, as well #tealpumpkin). More details will be released closer to time.

Thanksgiving:

But we are not stopping there! Thanksgiving is NEXT MONTH, and we are taking holiday orders now! We can do the entire meal or select items – your choice! Our holiday menu is available here. Plus, you can get the holiday meal package at a discounted price until the 31st! #earlybirdspecial We are also offering holiday catering for your office! Check it out!

New Menu:

Have you had a chance to check out our new carryout menu? We have added some favorites back (like lasagna) and created new items (beef enchiladas, roast beef, chicken & dressing, southwest chicken alfredo, and more)! It is a tasty menu, so come see us!


We cannot thank you enough for supporting our little business. We love making food for you and taking the stress of the day off of your shoulders. Being a part of this community is more meaningful than you realize.
From our heart to yours, The team at The Hungry Goat