by Mikayla Marazzi

When Steven Payne was 21 years old , he remembers perusing through Fairmount , Indiana , enjoying the James Dean festival , and admiring the big , thick pork chops sold by a food truck outside the main street post office , thinking it would be amazing to be able to afford one of those some day . Fifteen years later , in 2005 , when he established Payne ’ s Restaurant in Gas City , IN , he promptly placed Main Street Pork Chop on the menu — commemorating this memory of his youth .

Steve believes that food is closely connected to heritage . “ Everything [ at Payne ’ s ] is something with roots , everything comes from an honest place ,” Steve says . He recounts his childhood , growing up around his mother ’ s cooking . Though she worked a full-time job , each night she prepared a three-course meal for her family : a soup or starter , a main course , and a dessert . Now , Steve attributes his work ethic , as well as his standard for excellence , to his mother .

If we really think about it , Steve urges , most of our food preferences can be traced back to past experiences . Smell , taste , texture , all of these senses can connect to you to pieces of your past : pizza shared with friends at midnight , soup cooked by your great aunt , or cinnamon rolls from your favorite café .

Food is a way of paying homage to the past . Each menu item at Payne ’ s has an origin , connecting back to an event , person , or place . Steve aims to “ reinterpret memories with food .” His Grandma ’ s bread pudding , for example , is displayed on the dessert menu , and will , as he says , “ always be a part of my life .”

Steve ’ s advocates for boldness and risk-taking . He believes that happiness is the goal in life , not gaining profit or material good , and that you should pursue happiness

with everything you ’ ve got . “ Time is going to pass whether you are living with your mom or you are climbing Mount Everest ,” Steve says , “ so you may as well put everything on the line and not be afraid of anything .”

It ’ s easy to romanticize places that aren ’ t our own , just as the grass is always greener on the other side . Though Europe is often beheld as a place of vibrant history , art , and culture , Steve argues that America has just as much history as Britain . Steve professes a deep love for the nation and culture of America , which has now been his home for 24 years . “ Every rock here is as old as it is in Britain ,” Steve says . At 21 years old , Steve couldn ’ t wait to leave England . When he first arrived in America , Steve immediately felt that he could start fresh , without any expectations at all — a place where he could be totally free .

America ’ s emphasis on liberty eventually inspired Steve to establish Payne ’ s .

He created Payne ’ s out of a part already alive in him — this desire to live a whole , healthy , and awesome life , beginning with the food you put into your body . “ When you have a choice between awesome and lame ,” he says , “ you want to go for awesome .” Steve thinks that not enough people take the old adage — you are what you eat — seriously enough . He sees Payne ’ s as a way to offer healthy , good , organic , holistic food options , alternatives to the robust fast food market that is all too prevalent in America .

Not only does Steve care about the quality of food but he cares the shared experience of food . Steve captures his ambition for Payne ’ s with this brief illustration : Two people looking at each other over a beautiful , healthy plate of food , sitting in a beautiful environment , with wonderful music playing in the backdrop .

Payne ’ s just celebrated its 12th anniversary and is only growing , stretching further

towards excellence . Steve wants to be as aggressive as he can be with the future of Payne ’ s . Soon Payne ’ s will feature timber wood , and Josh Sonner , of Upland Timber , will be employed for the job . Steve believes that people ought to invest in

the community around them , rather than looking to the corporation for help . Steve explains that he is not on a specific mission to change Grant County , only to live naturally and beautifully in the midst of this small , intimate community .

Heather Teegarden-Davis FUNERAL DIRECTOR 13 Years of Service

Advisor

“ Payne ’ s is just what it is in flesh ,” Steve says .

Be sure to visit Payne ’ s Restaurant , located on South Kay Bee Drive in Gas City , IN , to witness Steve ’ s story embodied in beautiful food and service !

Advisor

Heather was raised in Upland , IN . She is a 1993 graduate of Eastbrook High School and a 1996 graduate of Vincennes University , where she majored in Mortuary Science . Heather received her Funeral Director License in 1997 . She joined NSW in 2004 , with eight years ’ prior experience

Heather and her husband Jason were married in 2000 . She enjoys fishing , hunting , and raising her dogs .