July 2026 Highlight: Second Chances and Good Food how a Nonprofit Celebrates Chef Who Turned Prison Meals Into a Business

ST. LOUIS — Stevie Gilliam was serving time for gun possession and drug charges in the federal penitentiary when a plan to turn his life around hit him.

He was creating one of the popular dishes he had invented on the inside by spicing up regular prison turkey sausage with extras only found in the commissary, such as chips, pickles, jalapenos, cheeses and other packaged seasonings. His fellow inmates would line up just for a taste of his creations. And he, likewise, would line up for theirs.

They used their prison IDs to chop vegetables or meats. They turned vacant bottom bunks into griddles. Now, he’s turned it into a business on the outside – selling some of his most popular creations such as Jailhouse Nachos for $30 a plate.

He charges a premium because he uses brands only found in prisons for his jailhouse recipes, and he often runs out before he can get his next shipment. He also shares his space with other cooks including Chef D from Cluster Busters, who make food with typical ingredients.

“I just knew, if I could sell this in the streets, it would be successful,” he said, standing over a metal table using a real knife, cutting board and endless supplies and spices surrounding him inside the kitchen of the restaurant that was once only a dream.

He named it Stevie’s Jailhouse Kitchen.

“There is a certain taste we always look for when we come out of jail, and a lot of us miss the food – not jail,” he explained. “It reminds you of the hard times and reminds you that we made it out.”

And for that, Stevie is being honored with a “You’ve Got The Juice” award from The Mission Attempt, a nonprofit that plans various events throughout the year to uplift the community, including Back-to-School supply giveaways, holiday gift giveaways, Father’s Day celebrations and utility bill assistance on Juneteenth.

Stevie will get his award during the nonprofit’s fifth annual fundraiser, Jolly July on July 18.

“We call it the Mission Attempt, because as Christian, every mission is just an attempt to do what God wants us to do,” explained Teona McGhaw-Ward, cofounder of the organization. “That’s why when we finish one of our events, we say ‘Mission Accomplished.’”

McGhaw-Ward cofounded the organization alongside her friend Daneika Irving after McGhaw-Ward lost a local election.

“I knew I still wanted to serve North St. Louis County, so we came up with this concept,” she said.

Service is also in McGhaw-Ward’s genetics. Her great-great-aunt was the iconic voting, women’s rights and civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer.

“Jolly Jully is an event intended to uplift and celebrate Black-owned small businesses and North County’s vibrant local community,” she said.

In addition to Stevie, the organization is honoring Amie Cheeney, Marty Casey, B-Juiced, City Jump, Cluster Busters, Cha Cha’s Creations, Hint of Fiiya Boutique, Baked by K and Women in Vision.

A poster advertising the event and how to buy tickets hangs near the register inside Stevie’s restaurant at 8933 Riverview Drive.

It’s not far from the city’s former jail, sometimes called The Workhouse.

“When we were in prison, this was all we had,” Stevie explained, as he pointed to the items usually only found in prison commissaries. “Every time we ate in jail, we came up with a new idea and I always knew if I could just get it on the streets, everyone would love it. I’ve introduced a new taste to the world.”

The concept, he admits, might not make a whole lot of sense to people who have never spent time behind bars.

But to those who have, it does. And he can’t make it fast enough.

“A lot of people just laughed at me, but I just kept going,” he said.

Stevie’s new mission in life began after his release in November 2019. He had served about eight years on and off.

“I came home homeless,” he said.

But not hopeless.

“Jail taught me how to manage money, get money, save it and put it toward good things,” he said.

He tried to work as a delivery driver but said he got fired once the company learned he was a felon. He then sold cars, scraped metal and started buying food to make sweet and spicy bowls for $20, which includes vegetables, seafood and chips.

Soon, business was so good he opened a snack shop.

Then, in September, he opened the restaurant he envisioned while serving time.

“It’s comfort food, and I always say, ‘You don’t have to go to jail, just come to Stevie’s,’” he said.

On almost any given day, Stevie is hard to keep up with. He’s either making food, running to supply stores to buy more food, fulfilling online orders from all over the country as well as finding ways to mentor juveniles headed along the wrong path as well as other ex-cons.

“I came home broken, but with a dream and a purpose,” he said. “Now I turned my pain into profit and purpose.”

His Tuna Jail House Nacho is $30. His Jail House Pizza Bowl is $35. He charges $20 for a Chili With Beans Pack, and $15 for Mystery Kool-Aid flavored pickles and pineapples.

The fact that so many ex-cons are willing to pay a premium for the food shows Stevie he’s not the only one who has turned his life around.

“A lot of people come from out of town, or I ship it out of town,” he said. “As felons, we used to walk around with a big ‘F’ on our chests, couldn’t get a job coming out, couldn’t get anyone to take us seriously, so a lot of people resort back to the streets. I’m trying to show you can turn nothing into something. You can change a negative into a positive.”

He and his former cellmate, Darryl Jackson, co-authored a book about Stevie’s life titled From Jailhouse Noodles to Nachos to Net Profit: How I Went from Cell to CEO.

“I learned how to write books in prison,” said Jackson, who lives in Grand Rapids, Mich. “He put a lot of prison lessons into it as well as how to run a business and avoid peer pressure.”

Jackson understands the draw for food Stevie makes, too.

“It’s like the same reason why Christians relive Jesus dying,” he said. “It’s a reminder of what we overcame.

“When we were inside, you would get things from the commissary and try to make the stuff your grandmas and aunties would make at home. We would take this sauce from over there and mix it with that sauce and we could make something out of nothing.”

And you can turn your life around.

For more information about The Mission Attempt, including how to buy tickets to Jolly July, register for school supplies and clothing, visit Mission Attempt St. Louis | To Love is to Help

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