Stephen Hutson is the owner of Catch 27 alongside his wife, Lindsey. The St. Augustine restaurant grew from his lifelong love of food, cooking and community. His passion for hospitality and his roots in the area have helped shape Catch 27 into a local favorite.
Tell me about your background.
St. Augustine has always been a home away from home for me. My grandparents lived here. I grew up in Tampa, but I felt like once a month we were driving up to St. Augustine to visit them. When it came time to go to college, Flagler was the only college I applied to. I really wanted to live up here, to be up here. I went to Flagler and worked in the local restaurant scene. I got a degree in business and a minor in youth ministry, and I really wanted to open up a restaurant. It took me a few years to raise a little bit of money and find a location, but I did that in 2012 and we opened Catch 27 for service in 2013.
What was the inspiration for opening your own restaurant?
I grew up with a lot of men in my family who enjoyed cooking. Whether it was out on a grill or going out fishing and then bringing that in and preparing it. For the big family holidays, we’d all get together. There’d be 50 of us and it was pretty equal participation in the kitchen. My mom, my grandmother and my aunts were all in the kitchen, but so was my dad. Me and my brother and a couple of my cousins also really enjoyed cooking. So, I’d say my family fostered a love of food and community from an early age, and I’ve always had an affinity for it. Even in college, we would host this “Tuesday night dinner” where me and a bunch of my friends would all get together. More often than not I was cooking dinner for 20 or 30 people.
The restaurant moved locations a few years ago. Why the change?
We started out in a restaurant that only had 30 seats. About two years after we opened, my wife Lindsey, who’s a part of the business, suggested that maybe we should look for a bigger location. It would be a rainy Tuesday, and we would be on a two-hour wait. She convinced me to go around the corner and look at a new spot that had just opened up for lease. It’s a great example for any married men out there, always listen to your wife. I looked at it and she finally convinced me. It was a great decision for our business.
Do you feel like the St. Augustine community has supported your dream with Catch 27?
I think at every step of the way, even right out of college, the community and the people that I’ve gotten to know have been very supportive of me and my business. I’ve been able to get to know some pretty incredible people and they’ve become mentors to me. As I’ve gotten to know so many other people in the downtown area, so many locals who’ve been with us through the years, it’s been a really nice time.
Are you proud of what you’ve been able to accomplish so far?
I don’t think I could have written this story. It’s been surprising. It’s been beautiful. It’s been tragic in some ways, resilient in others. I’m very, very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish and what we’ve been able to do. My team has been with me for a really long time. Our executive chef, Josh Smith, has been with us for, I think, 10 years. He’s so talented and he’s done such a good job. My front-of-house management team, our bartenders — I love our team. I love what we do. I'm sitting outside right now, on the patio looking at all of this, and I remember touring the property for the time like it was yesterday. Now we’re here today. It’s just a really amazing thing.
