About us

Born and raised in Haiti, Mrs. Chery-Hilaire spent most of her childhood in Gros-Marin, a little town further beyond Cavaillon located on the countryside of Les Cayes. She migrated to the United States in 2003 after a successful career as a kindergarten teacher, and her first year of law school. Currently based in Junction City, Kansas, Chef Matou has been sharing her Haitian heritage with local residents since 2009, and is a true advocate of the authenticity of Haitian Cuisine and other Haitian traditions.
She is a veteran with 5 years of service in the United States Army. She has been featured at the Chef and I in Junction City, KS and is a member of the Black Entrepreneur of the Flint Hills, a prestigious organization representing black-owned business in Junction City and Neighboring cities. She is also member of the Culinary Collective located on Mitford, KS. On top of her culinary attributes, she is a wife, mother of 3, natural hair stylist, choir member, singer and songwriter.

Chef Matou has 18 cumulative years of experience in customer service, as well as geriatric care. In 2016, she completed a bachelor’s of Art in Social Science at Kansas State University. Prior to that she obtained a certificate in small business management from Ashworth College in 2009. She is currently seeking a culinary degree at Auguste Escoffier Culinary School. Her experience includes working at a call center, front desk and as a cashier. She has also worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant and a social service assistant at assisted living facilities. She hosted many popup Haitian restaurant events at the VFW and the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, and has been a vendor in many community events including Juneteenth, Taste of JC, Sundown Salute, and Flint Hills Praisefest prior to purchasing a food truck and operating under the name of Chez Matou’s Green Machine, in partnership with her husband Kersaint Hilaire. Her 12 years of experience serving food to the Junction City community has given her a unique perspective on the importance of great customer service and food knowledge, allowing her the opportunity to recognize the dynamics of both successful and unsuccessful ethnic restaurants as it relates to quality customer service and great food description. She is currently the head of Chez Matou Catering and Food Truck, a contractor at the Culinary Collective in Milford, Kansas.Her vision is to ensure that people all over the globe discover this hidden gem called “Haitian Cuisine”.

Mr. Kersaint Hilaire is a native of and spent most of his childhood in Gros-Marin, a little town further beyond Cavaillon located on the countryside of Les Cayes. Following his secondary education, he moved to Port-Au-Prince where he pursued his career as a radio broadcaster, and later migrated to the United States in 2016. He is currently residing in Junction City,Kansas, but remains very connected to his Haitian heritage and seeks to share it with other non-Haitians.

Kersaint Hilaire has over 16 years of experience in customer service. In 2010, he completed a bachelor’s of Art in Anthropology at L’Université d’Etat d’Haiti. His experience includes working at radio stations, restaurants, and rideshare companies. He also worked in a warehouse prior to partnering with his wife Martine Chery-Hilaire to launch Chez Matou Catering and Food Truck. His 16 years of experience in the service industry has equipped him with the ability to have excellent customer relations due to his interpersonal skills. He is currently the general manager of Chez Matou Catering and Food Truck, and a self-employed contractor for Uber and The Culinary Collective in Milford, Kansas. On top of being a general manager, he is a husband, father of 3, and a comedian.

His vision is to grow the company and open locations in many other states so that people beyond Junction City can experience some authentic Haitian Cuisine.