Bringing Back Community, One Graze at a Time
Chris and Stephanie Stout, the husband-and-wife team behind Graze Craze Charcuterie Boards & Boxes Murrieta, have built their business around family, service, hospitality, and a simple idea: bringing people back to community. Since opening in January 2024, they have worked side by side to create more than beautiful charcuterie boards. They believe everyday moments deserve to be celebrated.
The Stout family moved to Murrieta in 2006 when Chris was stationed at Assault Craft Unit 5 at Camp Pendleton while serving in the U.S. Navy. Nearly two decades later, Chris and Stephanie have raised their three children in the valley, with their kids attending Murrieta Valley High School and Mt. San Jacinto College.
Before becoming small business owners, both Chris and Stephanie were shaped by family, service, and adaptability. Chris comes from a military family and served nearly 11 years in the Navy as an Electronics Technician, completing his service as a First Class Petty Officer. Stephanie grew up as a Navy brat in a family where service and sacrifice were part of everyday life. Her father and stepmother were both Navy officers, and her stepfather was a Navy Master Chief.
Stephanie earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Accounting from the University of Phoenix, but her most important leadership role came at home. For years, she served as the Stout family’s unofficial Director of Operations and Training, raising their children, managing a busy household, and keeping family life moving forward. When the opportunity came to open a Graze Craze franchise, flexibility mattered. Stephanie wanted to build something meaningful without losing the ability to be present for her family.
Graze Craze Murrieta specializes in handcrafted charcuterie boards, boxes, grazing tables, and catering for business meetings, client gifts, appreciation lunches, weddings, school events, nonprofit gatherings, and celebrations. While the boards are colorful and eye-catching, Chris and Stephanie believe the real value is in the experience behind them. A well-made charcuterie spread can make a meeting feel more welcoming, a gift feel more personal, or a celebration feel easier for the host.
As owners, Chris and Stephanie are focused on team culture. They refer to their employees as Grazologist™ team members and believe every team member should feel ownership. They value ideas from their staff, encourage growth, and help create an environment where people feel supported, trained, and empowered. They also see the business as a steppingstone in each Grazologist™ team member’s personal career path.
Community involvement is an important part of life for the Stouts, often growing naturally from the places where their family is connected. Stephanie serves as an Ambassador with the Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce, and Chris and Stephanie serve on the Murrieta Valley High School Girls Lacrosse Boosters board. They also support the Murrieta Valley High School marching band program. Chris serves as Committee Chair for Scouting America Troop 309G, chartered by Michelle’s Place Cancer Resource Center, and as a commissioner with the Tahquitz District. He also serves at Crosspoint Church and on the Graze Craze National Advertising Fund Board.
Their past rodeo involvement and volunteer work during horse evacuations also reflect a family pattern of showing up where they can help.
For Chris and Stephanie, the most rewarding part of their business is bringing people together and contributing to the community they call home. Graze Craze has become their way of bringing back the kind of community they hope the next generation will remember: neighbors gathering, families celebrating, and local businesses supporting one another.
- EXECUTIVE PROFILE: Romy Fazeli - August 31, 2026
- Linda Wunderlich Celebration of Life - July 31, 2026
- EXECUTIVE PROFILE: KATIE LUNA - July 31, 2026