November 2, 2026
Bringing Families Back to Dinner
Jonathan Breeden: [00:00:00] On this week’s episode of The Best of Johnston County podcast, our guest is Chasity Parks, the owner of Chas’s Family Kitchen, which is a home-delivered meal service right here in Clayton, North Carolina, where she cooks and fixes and delivers some of the best meals your family will ever have, feeds five to seven with leftovers.
So if you’re a busy working family and you want a healthy, great meal for your family, her business can help you out. We also talk to her a little bit about growing up in Clayton. She’s a substance abuse counselor, how she sort of got into that, and how she’s also offering cooking classes for children in their homes so that they’ll know how to cook and for safety purposes, because everybody’s always cooking and children need to know how to use stoves, pots, pans and different things like that.
So if you’re interested in great food, home-delivered meals, or how to get your kid a cooking class, listen in.
Welcome to another episode of Best of Johnston [00:01:00] County, brought to you by Breeden Law Office. Our host, Jonathan Breeden, an experienced family lawyer with a deep connection to the community, is ready to take you on a journey through the area that he has called home for over 20 years. Whether it’s a deep dive into the love locals have for the county or unraveling the complexities of family law, Best of Johnston County presents an authentic slice of this unique community.
Jonathan Breeden: Hello and welcome to another edition of The Best of Johnston County podcast. I’m your host, Jonathan Breeden, and on today’s episode we have Chassity Parks, owner of Chas’s Family Kitchen in Clayton, North Carolina. We’re gonna talk to her a little bit about her home-cooked meal program, where she is cooking great meals for your family that you can pick up or have delivered at 5:30 when you come home from work, and have a meal with your family that is healthy and delicious.
I can tell you, I’ve had some of her food. It’s really, really, good, and you don’t have to cook it. It is great. And her [00:02:00] goal is to try to bring families back together at the table. So we’ll talk to her a little bit about that and why she started it. And before we get to that, we’d like to ask you to like, follow, subscribe to this podcast wherever you see it, whether Apple, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, or any of the other social media channels, The Best Johnston County Podcast. The Best Johnston County Podcast comes out every single Monday, and has now for over three years. So go back and listen to some of the previous episodes. We’ve had a lot of great people. We had Michael Soler, K-9 Dog Training and the Soler Effect. We’ve had Tim Sims, local dentist. We had Woody Bailey, IT services.
We had Just Dog People, talking about how to make your dog healthier and better dog foods. if you love Johnston County as much as I do, this podcast is for you. Welcome… Is it Chas or Chasity?
Chasity Parks: Chasity.
Jonathan Breeden: I knew you as Chas, but I don’t know. What do, what do you go by?
Chasity Parks: So I go by Chas’s because of my family, but it is Chasity.
Jonathan Breeden: It’s Chasity, right?
Chasity Parks: Yeah.
Jonathan Breeden: Well, ’cause you’re Chas’s Family Kitchen, so I always knew you as Chas, but anyway.
Chasity Parks: So that’s what my family do call me, Chasity.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay. All right. So anyway, state your name and what you do.
Chasity Parks: My [00:03:00] name is Chasity Parks. I am a substance abuse counselor and the owner of Chas’s Family Kitchen.
Jonathan Breeden: All right. And when did you. I know you weren’t born in Johnston County, but you moved to Clayton when you were what, 6
Chasity Parks: I moved to Clayton when I was 13.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay.
Chasity Parks: So I was born in Wake County, and me and my mom moved to New York and then South Carolina. And my dad came to South Carolina and, got my mom and married her in 1986.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay.
Chasity Parks: And moved us back to Wake County, and then we moved to Johnston County in October 31st, 1995.
Jonathan Breeden: How about that? Okay. All right. So you’ve been in Johnston County ever since?
Chasity Parks: Yes.
Jonathan Breeden: You went to Clayton High School.
Chasity Parks: I did.
Jonathan Breeden: Oh, man.
Chasity Parks: I did.
Jonathan Breeden: The Commons
Chasity Parks: Graduated 2000.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay.
Chasity Parks: class of 2000.
Jonathan Breeden: All right. That’s awesome. And then, you went on to college?
Chasity Parks: I did. North Carolina Central University, one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Jonathan Breeden: Yeah? And what degree did you get there?
Chasity Parks: I got a bachelor’s in, degree in arts and history with a minor in psychology.
Jonathan Breeden: [00:04:00] Okay. All right. we were just talking before we started recording, I spent a summer at North Carolina Central doing Summer Ventures, which was a high school math and science program, that they did. it’s still out there. Summer Ventures is still out there. If you have a high school kid who is gonna be a rising junior or senior, that program is still out there. It is absolutely free. It is six weeks on a college campus
Chasity Parks: Mm-hmm
Jonathan Breeden: doing, pretty serious labs and stuff that you’d never be able to do in high school because
Chasity Parks: Totally
Jonathan Breeden: they just don’t have the resources.
And so I spent the summer of 1991 in Latham Dorm. We were just talking about that. You’ve told me they’ve now tore it down.
Chasity Parks: Yes.
Jonathan Breeden: That’s how old we are. But, uh, anyway, that was, a lot of fun, back then. that was one of the best summers I ever had. There was a lot of great people at Central back then. It was a long time ago. Most of those people are all long gone by now, but anyway. So, when you came out of Central, what’d you do?
Chasity Parks: So I started as community support helping children with parents who had substance abuse issues. Then I migrated to adults, and I stayed in the field, and I end up getting my [00:05:00] certification in substance abuse. I worked hand-in-hand with my dad, did DWI classes, and then I went to a company, and I’ve been there now going on 14 years.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay. Who do you work with now?
Chasity Parks: I work with Robeson Healthcare Corporation.
Jonathan Breeden: Robeson?
Chasity Parks: Healthcare
Jonathan Breeden: Okay
Chasity Parks: Corporation out of Lumberton.
Jonathan Breeden: Out of Lumberton? Yeah. Okay. I was… I thought- … so that’s what you say. You live in Clayton, but, ……but right, I, I’m from Laurinburg, Scotland County. I go there and I’m like, “Did I hear that right?” Like, I mean, Robeson Healthcare has been here a long time. My mom was in healthcare in Robeson County for many years, worked at Southeastern General.
So I was like, “I think that’s what you just said.”
Chasity Parks: I did.
Jonathan Breeden: And I met some of those, the people there, many years ago. The college is real small. So anyway, we won’t go there. We’ll talk about Chas’s Family Kitchen, but, we’ll start going down old Holm Way and Lumberton and, and, and, and Pembroke and- … and all that good stuff.
So anyway, so well, that’s great. That’s great. So where did the idea of Chas’s Family Kitchen come from?
Chasity Parks: [00:06:00] So in March 19th, 2025, we lost our father, and it was like sometimes when you lose family, people separate, and I didn’t want that for my family. Then I said I also didn’t want that for anybody else’s family. So I utilized it in my workplace and I started helping the children and started having them utilize cooking skills and making dinner for their mothers and having it ready. Then I said, “You know what? We will live in a world where a lot of people have decided to do more going out to eat and not eating at home and knowing what’s going on in our kids’ life.
So we gotta bring families back to the table.” And so I started bringing my family back to the table. So we started having those monthly family dinners even without my dad. And I said, “If we can do [00:07:00] this, how many other families are in turmoil or have those issues that need to come back to the table and need to be together and just love each other?”
Like, it doesn’t have to have start with a conversation. It starts with a meal. And I said, “That’s what we did, so why not bring that into the community? Why not bring that to life into reality, and not just help my family but help others?”
Jonathan Breeden: Okay. Well, sounds like a good idea to me. So, what is Chas’s Family Kitchen?
Chasity Parks: Chas’s Family Kitchen is a business that supports the busy family, the family who just wants to get together and have a great time, who don’t have time to cook, but want somebody else to do it for them, who wants to put the pour in the love into the food. So once you sit down with your family, the love you eat, you can give that love out once you finish.
Jonathan Breeden: [00:08:00] I I got you. I got you. So, it’s a home-delivered meal service? I guess that would.
Chasity Parks: It’s a home.
Jonathan Breeden: I think that’s what it is, right?
Chasity Parks: It is. It’s a home-delivered meal service that provides not only do we provide the starch, the vegetable, it’s home-cooked meal with natural flavors. We, utilize, I do utilize a lot of the local farmery. I utilize some of herbs from one of our Launch JoCo friends’, LaCheryl Herbs in especially my spaghetti, so which is amazing, which allows me to be able to make sure all my meals and dishes just be one of those deals and meals where people can sit down, fall asleep, and wake up and say, “You know what? I want some more. But hey, cousin, can you get me some more of that when you get up? And get that.” And they probably hadn’t talked in two years
Jonathan Breeden: Okay. Well, no, I get it. I get it. [00:09:00] So these meals are made to serve 5-7 people?
Chasity Parks: It can serve 5-7 people. Everything comes into a half a pan, which can serve five to seven people. They all have different, prices. I have some meals that starts, the lowest it can start at is between 50 and 55.
the highest it does go up to has been 85 to 90, depending on the meat. a lot of, I do not utilize pork in any of my vegetables. I do utilize smoked turkey, because I do know how, there is bases where people do not like pork in items.
But if it is requested, I do make sure I, utilize whatever the customer does require or request at that time.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay. All right. And, usually there’s enough for leftovers
Chasity Parks: Absolutely
Jonathan Breeden: the next day, lunch
Chasity Parks: Yeah
Jonathan Breeden: stuff like that.
Chasity Parks: Only thing a wife have to do is pack her, her husband lunch, and he have the office smelling right, right.
Jonathan Breeden: All right. That’s cool. All right. So, [00:10:00] most of the customers, two to three meals a week?
Chasity Parks: They’ll-
Jonathan Breeden: Does
that seem to be the magic spot?
Chasity Parks: Anywhere between two to three meals a week. I definitely have some that get, that do every other weekends.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay.
Chasity Parks: because they like to ha- twice, they’ll do one Saturday and Sunday on weekends. I do have monthly customers because they have monthly family out- family gatherings. One of my customers, they have a monthly brunch, which they utilize me to go to their home and be able to cook the meal in their home. So when they and their family get together, everything is served and prepared fresh and ready. which is, which is amazing because I’m actually able to see the family get back to the table.
Jonathan Breeden: Right. Right. Okay. And these meals can be delivered or picked up.
Chasity Parks: It can be delivered, picked up. only thing I ask is that we schedule them at least 48 hours in advance so we can discuss pickup time and location. [00:11:00] And I’m always here.
Jonathan Breeden: Right. And when the p- and when the meals are delivered or picked up, they are warm.
Chasity Parks: They are.
Jonathan Breeden: They are cooked that day.
Chasity Parks: They are cooked.
Jonathan Breeden: They’re not frozen. These are, meals sort of ready to eat like you would get at the grocery store.
Chasity Parks: They are freshly prepared that exact day.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay. Well, that’s cool. So what are some of the most… I mean, I’ve had a few things. that breakfast you did a few weeks ago, was off the chain, and then you did this sort of broccoli casserole thing. And I ate like a couple of those, and I don’t even like broccoli. So what are some of your most popular meals?
Chasity Parks: So my broccoli salad is one of my biggest hits. I do not use a mayonnaise base. I do use a vinaigrette base. My egg and broccoli and cheese mini quiches are also a huge hit. My potatoes with sausage, ’cause I do three different sausages that has flavoring in them, with a hot honey dressing for my brunch items. [00:12:00] Dinner items, I have a chicken and spinach alfredo lasagna. That has been a huge hit. I have a jerk chicken or salmon and rice. That has always been a number one choice, for delivery. I actually have three orders for that coming up soon.
Jonathan Breeden: All right.
Chasity Parks: collard greens beef tips and potatoes.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay.
Chasity Parks: my chicken because it does fall off the bone. and they always tell me they cannot seem to figure out how I allow it to slide like that.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay. Golly, see now I’m getting hungry, right? I’m getting hungry. You know, it’s, I listen to this. I’m like, I’m already hungry. ’cause I’ve had some of this, at the various Launch JoCo events and stuff like that.
Is there a minimum order? Is there a standing repeat? How does this work? [00:13:00]
Chasity Parks: I don’t have a minimum order. My thing is I just want everyone to be able to utilize my service and get something out of it, and be happy. Like, I wanna be able to do- give you an experience you’ve never had before, and I promise you, if you allow me to give you that experience, I know you’ll be back.
Jonathan Breeden: Right. Right. So- ‘Cause most of your customers are, are repeat customers
Chasity Parks: They this come back at this point.
Jonathan Breeden: Yeah. Right. I got you. No, that’s really good. I mean, no, I mean it’s, I mean I, I think, I think, it’s great. I think you know, there’s been other people in the market that do this. I think what’s unique about yours is the delivery part.
you know, and that there’s no minimum order. and, you know, you don’t have to order 10 or 12
Chasity Parks: No
Jonathan Breeden: or whatever. You can, you can do one and see if you like it and, and that kinda stuff. Now, some of the people- Have the same nights every week, right?
Yes.
Like, like some people are like, you know, you know, you’re going here on Wednesday.
Some, you know, on Friday, [00:14:00] stuff like that. ‘Cause I mean, with the, with the amount of leftovers, you’re basically getting two days worth of something.
Chasity Parks: You do.
Jonathan Breeden: So two or three would cover most of the week.
Chasity Parks: It will. And the thing… And also with the meals that I have, it also depends on their portions, because I’ve had some people who will tell me they’ve had other people come over And they still have more.
Jonathan Breeden: Right, right, right.
Chasity Parks: which is amazing because it makes me see that not only are they utilizing the food, but somebody else just tasted it- Right … so they just let somebody else know about my… So if it’s enough, I, I… One thing I do guarantee people, it’s worth every dime.
Jonathan Breeden: So it comes with dessert, right?
Chasity Parks: It can.
Jonathan Breeden: Right. I’ve seen a lemon pound cake.
Chasity Parks: So I have a five flavor pound cake. I have a chocolate tennessee whiskey pound cake.
Jonathan Breeden: I probably got a big hungry. All right. Go on, go ahead.
Chasity Parks: I think that one right there is, that one is [00:15:00] something special. I have a dump cake, which is actually a family’s, recipe that had, was sent down from my father’s mother.
And I have a sweet potato dump cake, a strawberry and cream dump cake, a strawberry pound cake. And we also do A pecan pie.
Jonathan Breeden: Oh my goodness, a pecan pie. Okay. So these meals come with a meat two vegetables. I mean, what do they come with?
Chasity Parks: The meal itself can come with a meat, a vegetable, and a starch, and a bread.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay. All right. I got you.
Chasity Parks: So the desserts, now with the big meals, like my thanksgiving special, the thanksgiving special does come with a dessert.
Jonathan Breeden: okay
Chasity Parks: so my thanksgiving special will come with a meat, two sides, a starch, a bread, and a dessert.
Jonathan Breeden: All right. And how many is that designed to feed?
Chasity Parks: That can feed anywhere [00:16:00] between 10 to 12 people.
Jonathan Breeden: 10 to 12 people. Okay. And how much is the thanksgiving special?
Chasity Parks: The thanksgiving special is $250.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay. All right. It’s feed 10 to 12 people,
Chasity Parks: With leftovers.
Jonathan Breeden: Oh, I’m sure. I’m sure. I tell you what, I’ll have to admit, you know, as my in-laws got older, we were always there for Thanksgiving, we did start to outsource that to restaurants. We’d go pick it up or cater and stuff like that, and that was really nice, and that’s about what it cost.
And you just go pick it up. You don’t have to cook all day. You know, we kept adding people as we had more kids, the kids got bigger and, you know, new boyfriends …and everything else. …And that was a big load off of my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law who were responsible for cooking all this food when we, we switched to that probably six or seven years ago. So I would highly recommend people to get your Thanksgiving meal catered, w- by Chas’s Family Kitchen or somebody, ’cause it makes, it makes life a lot easier, and it makes that day go way better in my opinion. The [00:17:00] thing- As somebody who doesn’t know how to cook, I’m just saying.
Chasity Parks: And the, and the thing is, I feel if you are someone who’s busy and you work, and let’s say you don’t get much time off This Thanksgiving holiday is time off where sit down, enjoy your family. What’s going on? Find out. Rest. Life is too short.
Have family law questions? Need guidance to navigate legal challenges? The compassionate team at Breeden Law Office is here to help. Visit us at www. breedenfirm. com for practical advice, resources, or to book a consultation. Remember, when life gets messy, you don’t have to face it alone.
Jonathan Breeden: So how can people get in touch with, you about, and find out about the different menus and stuff like that?
Chasity Parks: So they can definitely look me up on Facebook at Chas’s Family Kitchen, Instagram, Chas’s Family Kitchen. You can also reach me, at my, [00:18:00] business number, 919-633-3050 to do orders. And I do take text message orders.
And all my orders, like I said, I like to talk with each one of my families to identify what their family like, to be able to develop meals based on their family, because I might have several vegetable options, and if a child doesn’t like a certain vegetable, I can critique a vegetable to where that child really can possibly, hey, say, “Hey, I wanna taste that.”
Jonathan Breeden: All right. Well, that’s great. That’s great. And, I know that, I originally met you through Launch JoCo.
Chasity Parks: Yes …
Jonathan Breeden: …which you, are about to graduate from here, in, near the middle of November-
Chasity Parks: Yes …
Jonathan Breeden: about when this episode’s gonna run. What is Launch JoCo? We’ve had a lot of Launch JoCo people on here. we had Kevin Hassell with Bulldog Express. We had Amy Locklear with CrossStreet 4042. we had a lot of Launch JoCo people over the years. Tell the people, what is it? Why did you do it? [00:19:00]
Chasity Parks: So Launch JoCo to me is a program that allowed me to gain more knowledge, and also developed the experience that I needed to help my business develop the way it did. I am grateful for the opportunity. Launch JoCo gave me a wonderful mentor. Josh Apple, shout out. He was amazing with, showing me the ropes and how to actually network, ’cause I knew nothing about networking. I was, as friendly as I am, getting out in front of people was not something I was trying to do. I was at home stuck in a little shell.
Jonathan Breeden: Right.
Chasity Parks: But with, Launch JoCo and support with Josh Apple, I was able to get out and become more comfortable with actually talking about my business, sharing [00:20:00] my business, being excited about my business, and being able to develop a plan to where I know my business will succeed, not 5 years from now, but 10 years from now.
Jonathan Breeden: Yeah, no. and Launch JoCo is a great program. It’s like an incubator whether a series of classes about how to structure your business- how to write a business plan, how to develop a profit and loss statement- how to create recurring revenue, how to keep your costs reasonable.
Chasity Parks: Yeah.
Jonathan Breeden: And then once you complete the classroom program, you get a mentor.
Chasity Parks: Yeah.
Jonathan Breeden: I’ve been a mentor in it for several years. Josh Apple has as well. Josh Apple, Apple Law at Flowers Plantation. He does wills and estate planning.
Chasity Parks: Mm-hmm.
Jonathan Breeden: First-class individual, a really great guy. and, been a lot of great, a lot of great mentors in it. and, and, and it’s mentors that know how to… you know, I mean, I kinda know how to run a business, so… And I’ve, I’ve enjoyed my time. I was with, Roof Stepper last year
Chasity Parks: Mm-hmm
Jonathan Breeden: and Bulldog Express this year. And, you know, and of course I, I go to all the different events that we have.
Chasity Parks: Yeah.
Jonathan Breeden: You know, you gave that speech a few [00:21:00] weeks ago. we had everybody gave their three-minute speech on their business. I was there. You did a great job, with that. the videos of people eating of course made me hungry. But the good thing was they had dinner there. you brought some stuff for that, which I really appreciate.
But no, I mean, it really is. And so if you have a small business or you, you have an idea- and you’re, you have a business that’s actually making a little bit of money, look into Launch JoCo. It’s, you know, it starts in like January I think, right? It does. And it goes to November. and so applications are usually right about now, October, November. I don’t know exactly know when they close.
Chasity Parks: I think applications for the new class will start… I think they have already closed for this year.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay. Already closed for this year. Okay.
Chasity Parks: So I will say keep on the lookout. I would say I would really suggest looking at the Small Business Center and attending those classes, especially
Jonathan Breeden: Yes
Chasity Parks: if they’re free, because that’s where I started at.
Jonathan Breeden: Yeah. Well, the Small Business Center at the Workforce Development Center in Clayton, right next to, right off of Powhatan
Chasity Parks: Powhatan and Bessemer
Jonathan Breeden: Right. Right. [00:22:00] Powhatan Road.
Chasity Parks: Mm-hmm
Jonathan Breeden: those classes are free.
That’s there. That is done through Johnston Community College. As is Launch JoCo, in co-partnership with the Clayton Chamber of Commerce. so yeah, so y- you definitely look into that. They got a lotta great resources there. The people there are phenomenal. they have grants they can help you get.
They, they know a ton about h- They know a little bit about marketing. They have classes- on social media, on, like, a website, and, you know, all kinds of stuff. Building a business plan, you know, all that stuff. I was very fortunate that when I was at Campbell Law School, they had a start your own law firm class that I was able to take that helped me learn a little bit about how to get started. I learned a whole lot more running a business for 26 years, but it w- it was important ’cause I didn’t have any idea how to run a business. So I think it’s been great. We’ve seen a lotta great success with that. Chas’s Family Kitchen is just one of the many successes coming out of the Launch JoCo program.
I saw you’re doing some cooking classes for kids? What’s
that?
Chasity Parks: Yes. I utilize cooking classes to help kids become familiarized in the home, Where they can learn how to do some cooking skills [00:23:00] and help mom and dad, and also just know what their kitchen is. Because it’s important for kids to understand the fundamental skills of the kitchen, because you never know what can happen. It is so important kids learn, even if it’s just to make a sandwich. We do different taste of fruits. We utilize the importance of learning the proper way to cut and utilize a knife. how to turn on the stove, how to use the oven mitts, what are the different pots for, How to maintain safety in the kitchen when someone is frying something we do not fry anything, but we do explain that oil does pop, how grease is hot, how not I explain the ways to turn a pot pan, if it the long handle is out, because safety in the kitchen is very important, and some kids [00:24:00] do want to be in the kitchen and they wanna learn, but parents are busy.
Jonathan Breeden: So where do you do those classes at?
Chasity Parks: I actually have several students that are comfortable in their own kitchen, and I go to their homes.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay. And what do those classes cost?
Chasity Parks: Those classes start at 45 a session.
Jonathan Breeden: Okay.
Chasity Parks: Or you can do a 4 sessions for 320.
Jonathan Breeden: All right.
Chasity Parks: And each session comes with a family meal at the end.
Jonathan Breeden: Oh, okay.
Chasity Parks: So the kids do cook a meal at the end for their family in each session.
Jonathan Breeden: Oh, okay. Well, cool. That’s awesome. All right. Sounds good to me. Maybe you could come teach me how to cook- … ’cause I definitely don’t know how to cook. So the last question we ask everybody on this qu- on this podcast is what do you love most about Johnston County?
Chasity Parks: I love Johnston County ’cause you know what? At the end of the day, this is where I’m from. At, I’m from here and I love the people, and if it wasn’t for Johnston County, I wouldn’t be where I’m at.
Well, that’s true. [00:25:00] That’s true. I’d tell you the same thing. I’d say the same thing. If it wasn’t for the citizens of Johnston County, I wouldn’t be where I’m at either as a small business owner. So we’d like to thank Chasity Parks, the owner of Chas’s Family Kitchen, for being our guest on this week’s episode of The Best of Johnston County Podcast. If you’re interested in getting home-delivered meals or meals prepared for your family, or Thanksgiving for that matter, reach out to her.
Chas’s Family Kitchen is, is on, on Facebook and she gave her phone number earlier and be glad to help you out. And I can tell you everything I’ve eaten that she has cooked is absolutely phenomenal and I’m definitely gonna have to use her services here in the next few weeks. as we mentioned earlier, please like, follow, subscribe to this podcast wherever you see it, whether it be on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, or any of the other social media channels, The Best Johnston County Podcast.
Please share this podcast with a friend. If you love Johnston County as much as we do, I bet your friends will love it, this podcast if they love Johnston County as much as you do. If you also would be so kind as to leave us a five-star review down below and tell us what you like [00:26:00] about The Best of Johnston County Podcast and what you liked about what Chasity Parks had to say here today, that would be great.
If you’re interested or know somebody that would like to be a guest or have something great to say about Johnston County, reach out to us at socialmedia@breedenlaw.com. Until next time, I’m your host, Jonathan Breeden.
That’s the end of today’s episode of Best of Johnston County, a show brought to you by the trusted team at Breeden Law Office. We thank you for joining us today and we look forward to sharing more interesting facets of this community next week. Every story, every viewpoint adds another thread to the rich tapestry of Johnston County.
If the legal aspects highlighted raised some questions, help is just around the corner at www. breedenfirm. com.
One of the things I love about hosting The Best of Johnston County Podcast is meeting people who are building businesses that do more than provide a service. They’re finding ways to make life better for the people around them.
That’s exactly what I found when I sat down with Chasity Parks, owner of Chas’ Family Kitchen in Clayton.
I’ve had the chance to try Chasity’s cooking at several Launch JoCo events, and I can tell you firsthand that the food is phenomenal. But what makes her business special isn’t just what’s on the menu. It’s the reason she started cooking for families in the first place.
For Chasity, a home-cooked meal represents something we’ve all become a little too busy to appreciate. It’s an opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and spend time with the people who matter most.
A Family Loss That Inspired Something Bigger
Chasity’s story begins with a difficult moment in her family’s life.
On March 19, 2025, she lost her father. Like many families experiencing grief, she worried about what might happen to the relationships that had always kept everyone connected.
Sometimes, when a loved one passes away, families gradually drift apart. Chasity didn’t want that to happen to hers.
Instead, she began organizing monthly family dinners, making sure everyone continued spending time together even without her father at the table.
Those gatherings helped her recognize something important. Families don’t always need a special occasion or a complicated plan to reconnect. Sometimes, they simply need an opportunity to sit down and share a meal.
As Chasity explained, “Like, it doesn’t have to have start with a conversation. It starts with a meal.”
That idea eventually became the foundation of Chas’ Family Kitchen.
Chasity wanted to bring the same sense of connection she was rebuilding within her own family to other households throughout Johnston County.
And she realized that one of the biggest obstacles preventing families from eating together wasn’t a lack of interest. It was simply a lack of time.
Home-Cooked Meals Without the Work
If you’ve ever gotten home after a long day of work and wondered what you’re going to feed everybody, Chasity has built a business with you in mind.
Chas’ Family Kitchen provides freshly prepared, home-cooked meals that customers can pick up or have delivered.
These aren’t frozen dinners that have been sitting in storage. Chasity prepares the meals fresh on the day they’re scheduled, so families can enjoy a warm dinner without spending their evening cooking.
Each standard meal comes in a half pan designed to feed approximately five to seven people, often with enough food left over for another meal.
Prices generally range from $50 to $90, depending on the ingredients and meat selections.
For busy families, that can mean having dinner ready when everyone gets home and lunch already taken care of the following day.
Chasity also works directly with customers to understand their preferences. If someone doesn’t like a particular vegetable or has a specific request, she’s willing to discuss ways to adjust the meal.
She even avoids using pork in her vegetables unless a customer requests it, choosing smoked turkey for flavor instead.
What I particularly like about her business is the flexibility.
There’s no minimum order requirement, and customers aren’t locked into a complicated subscription.
Some families order two or three meals a week. Others schedule meals for weekends or monthly gatherings.
Chasity simply asks customers to place their orders at least 48 hours in advance so she can coordinate preparation, pickup, or delivery.
It’s a practical service, but it’s also a personal one.
She’s not just trying to get food out the door. She wants families to enjoy what they’re eating and have more time together.
Food That Brings Everyone Together
Of course, we couldn’t spend an entire conversation talking about Chas’ Family Kitchen without discussing the food.
And I’ll admit, this part of the interview made me hungry.
Chasity has developed a menu filled with homemade dishes, including several that have already become customer favorites.
Her broccoli salad is particularly popular. Instead of using a traditional mayonnaise-based dressing, she prepares it with a vinaigrette.
I’ve also tried some of her broccoli dishes myself, and considering I’m not usually a broccoli fan, that’s saying something.
For breakfast and brunch, she offers egg, broccoli, and cheese mini quiches, along with potatoes prepared with three different sausages and a hot honey dressing.
Her dinner options include chicken and spinach Alfredo lasagna, jerk chicken or salmon with rice, beef tips and potatoes, collard greens, and chicken that she says practically falls off the bone.
And then there are the desserts.
Chasity makes several varieties of pound cake, including five-flavor pound cake, strawberry pound cake, and chocolate Tennessee whiskey pound cake.
She also prepares pecan pie and different varieties of dump cake, including a recipe passed down from her father’s mother.
That family connection makes the food even more meaningful.
These aren’t just dishes created to fill a menu. Some are recipes connected to the people and memories that helped shape her love of cooking.
Chasity also offers meals for larger gatherings, including a Thanksgiving special designed to serve approximately 10 to 12 people, with leftovers.
During our conversation, she described a $250 Thanksgiving package that included meat, sides, a starch, bread, and dessert.
I told her that my own family eventually started ordering Thanksgiving meals instead of preparing everything ourselves.
As our family grew, cooking for everyone became a bigger responsibility. Having the food prepared made the holiday much easier and gave everyone more time to enjoy being together.
That’s really what Chasity wants people to experience.
Less time worrying about dinner and more time enjoying the people sitting around the table.
From Substance Abuse Counseling to Entrepreneurship
Something else that makes Chasity’s story interesting is that cooking isn’t her only career.
She’s also a substance abuse counselor.
Chasity moved to Johnston County in 1995, graduated from Clayton High School in 2000, and later attended North Carolina Central University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in arts and history with a minor in psychology.
After college, she began working in community support, helping children whose parents were dealing with substance abuse issues.
She eventually transitioned into working with adults, earned her substance abuse counseling certification, and continued building her career in the field.
Today, she works with Robeson Healthcare Corporation, where she has spent nearly 14 years.
Her professional background helps explain why she places such importance on family relationships.
Through her work, Chasity has seen how important it is for children and parents to communicate, support one another, and spend meaningful time together.
She even began incorporating cooking activities into her work with children, encouraging them to prepare meals for their families.
Those experiences helped her recognize that food could be a practical way to encourage connection.
And when she decided to turn that idea into a business, she found support through a local program that helps entrepreneurs get started.
Finding Confidence Through Launch JoCo
I originally met Chasity through Launch JoCo, a program designed to help small business owners develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed.
I’ve been involved with Launch JoCo as a mentor for several years, and I’ve seen firsthand how valuable it can be for people who have a business idea but aren’t sure how to turn it into something sustainable.
For Chasity, the program helped her learn about business planning, networking, and building relationships with other entrepreneurs.
She was paired with mentor Josh Apple, who encouraged her to become more comfortable talking about her business and sharing her vision with others.
Chasity admitted that even though she’s naturally friendly, putting herself out there wasn’t always easy.
Before Launch JoCo, she preferred staying home rather than stepping into unfamiliar networking situations.
But with encouragement and guidance, that began to change.
She became more confident explaining what Chas’ Family Kitchen offers and why she believes the business can make a difference.
She also started thinking beyond simply getting her next customer.
She wanted to create a plan that would allow her business to continue growing for years.
That’s one of the reasons I appreciate programs like Launch JoCo.
They give local entrepreneurs access to education, mentorship, and relationships that can help turn a promising idea into a real business.
Chasity also encouraged aspiring business owners to take advantage of the free classes available through the Small Business Center at Johnston Community College.
For someone just getting started, those resources can make a tremendous difference.
And it’s encouraging to see entrepreneurs like Chasity putting what they’ve learned into practice right here in Johnston County.
Teaching Children Confidence in the Kitchen
One of the most interesting parts of our conversation came when Chasity told me about another service she’s offering.
In addition to preparing meals for families, she’s teaching cooking classes for children.
These aren’t simply classes where kids follow a recipe and make something to eat.
Chasity wants children to become comfortable in the kitchen while learning the basic skills they need to prepare food safely.
She teaches them about different cooking utensils, how to use pots and pans, proper knife handling, and the importance of kitchen safety.
They also learn about using the stove, handling hot equipment, and understanding potential dangers around cooking oil and grease.
Some lessons are as simple as preparing a sandwich or exploring different fruits.
But those basic skills can help children become more independent and confident.
What I especially liked was hearing how she brings the lessons directly into families’ homes.
Rather than requiring children to travel to a separate classroom, Chasity works with students in kitchens where they already feel comfortable.
And every session ends with something special.
The children prepare a meal for their family.
So they’re not just learning how to cook. They’re getting the experience of contributing to dinner and sharing something they’ve made with the people they love.
During our conversation, Chasity said individual sessions start at $45, and she also offers a four-session package for $320.
It’s another example of how she’s using food to accomplish something bigger than simply preparing a meal.
She’s helping children develop useful skills while creating opportunities for families to spend time together.
And considering my own cooking abilities, I joked that maybe she could teach me a few things, too.
Why Johnston County Will Always Be Home
At the end of every episode, I ask my guests the same question.
What do you love most about Johnston County?
For Chasity, the answer came back to the community that helped shape her life.
Although she was born in Wake County and spent part of her childhood in other states, she has called Johnston County home since she was 13.
She grew up here, graduated from Clayton High School, built her career, and now has a business serving local families.
When I asked what makes Johnston County special to her, she said:
“I love Johnston County ’cause you know what? At the end of the day, this is where I’m from.”
She also credited the people of Johnston County for helping her become the person she is today.
I understand that feeling.
As a small business owner myself, I know how much the support of this community means.
Without the people of Johnston County, I wouldn’t be where I am today either.
And that’s what makes conversations with people like Chasity so rewarding.
She’s taking the support she’s received from this community and finding her own way to give something meaningful back.
Bringing Families Back to the Table
What stayed with me most about this conversation wasn’t a particular dish or a business strategy.
It was the reason Chasity started Chas’ Family Kitchen.
After losing her father, she recognized how easily families can drift apart when life becomes difficult or busy.
Instead of allowing that distance to grow, she made an intentional effort to keep her own family connected through shared meals.
Now, she’s helping other families do the same.
Whether she’s delivering dinner to a busy household, preparing food for a family gathering, or teaching a child how to cook, the purpose behind her work remains consistent.
She wants people to spend more time together.
And in a world where everyone seems to be rushing from one responsibility to the next, that’s something worth making room for.
Sometimes, building stronger relationships doesn’t require an elaborate plan.
Sometimes, it starts with dinner.
AND MORE TOPICS COVERED IN THE FULL INTERVIEW!!! You can check that out and subscribe to YouTube.
Connect with Chasity Parks
- Facebook: Chas’s Family Kitchen, LLC
- Phone: 919-633-3050
Connect with Jonathan Breeden:
- Website: https://www.breedenfirm.com/
- Phone Number: Call (919) 726-0578
- Podcast: https://breedenlawpodcast.com/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BestofJoCoPodcast




