What's Justin Hamilton got cookin' now? Restaurateur reserves proceeds for scholarships
At 27, Justin Hamilton '01 Att has already dissected success. He knows precisely how many parts brain to how many parts passion are required, and he's intimately aware of just how many sleeping hours must be sacrificed to bring everything together. But the owner of two of Logan's most flourishing restaurants will also tell you there is a singular key ingredient to any successful venture: people.
And when it comes to building upon the strengths Utah State University already has, Hamilton is convinced his recipe holds true.
“One of the most important ideals that was instilled in me while attending USU was the importance of giving back to the university,” Hamilton said.
"All through the time I was involved with the Student Alumni Association and the President's Ambassadors, I realized that the success of USU is determined by the support of the alumni.
"If every alumnus will do their part to give back to USU, whether it be athletics, the arts, scholarships...Utah State will continue to grow and be the great university it is," Hamilton said.
So, three years ago, the man behind Café Sabor and Hamilton's Steak and Seafood, decided he would launch another dream. Hamilton created Café Sabor Scholarship Night, which put a major portion of an evening's receipts at the restaurant into a scholarship fund for USU multicultural students. In September, Café Sabor hosted the event for the third time, and Hamilton said it just continues to grow.
"I've been fortunate to achieve success in my endeavors early in life," Hamilton said. "I owe much of the success of Café Sabor to USU."
“It is my hope that by sponsoring the scholarship, I can give a first-generation multicultural student an opportunity to attend USU and then influence generations to come.”
Café Sabor Scholarship Night has so far generated "about $4,000 to $5,000" annually, Hamilton said. Deserving students continue to express their gratitude and the community continues to support the event, which has included live, local entertainment and door prizes.
With all the fun, though, Hamilton said the event's original focus has not been blurred. "We always have employees at Café Sabor that come from families not able to provide a college education," Hamilton said, "so many of these young people work so hard to balance work and school. Hopefully, we can make a difference and make it possible for them to succeed."
