Foodies Of Lafayette Podcast

A Chat With A Familiar Face in Acadiana, Gerald Gruenig

Gerald Gruenig has the kind of personality you notice from across the room, but the story behind it runs deeper than social clips and zydeco nights. We talk with Gerald about growing up in Gentilly, New Orleans, with a full-blown po-boy shop under his bedroom, and how that front-row seat to plate lunches, regulars, and neighborhood life shaped the way he moves through Louisiana today. If you care about the Lafayette food scene, local restaurants, and the people who keep community culture alive, you’ll feel right at home here.  From there, we get real about what it means to miss New Orleans while also seeing how it’s changed since Hurricane Katrina. Gerald shares memories of displacement, returning to a wrecked restaurant, and the kind of culture shock that rewires a teenager’s priorities. We also dig into the quieter signs of belonging: greetings on the streetcar, the warmth of Lafayette, and why raising kids in a place that feels connected can matter as much as any big career plan.  Then the conversation turns to the moment that stopped everything: Gerald’s Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis, treatment, and remission. He doesn’t just share the timeline, he shares the emotional whiplash of being “the fun guy” while feeling broken inside, and the humbling experience of realizing how many people were praying for him. We also talk about faith, Catholic community, and how gratitude can become a daily practice instead of a slogan.  We close on the legacy question: what happens to a family-owned po-boy shop when the next generation is torn between love for the business and the reality of how grueling restaurants are. Gerald breaks down why food costs more now and why supporting small business means understanding the true cost of labor, ingredients, and survival. If this hits you, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who loves Louisiana food culture, and leave a review so more people can find these stories. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, [https://www.rouses.com/] Logic Refrigeration HVAC [https://getlogicservice.com/], Ounce of Hope [https://www.ounceofhope.com/], Cajun Table [https://thecajuntablellc.com/], Vermilionville [https://bayouvermiliondistrict.org/], Soul Haus Kitchen [https://www.soulhauskitchen337.com/], Chris Logan Media [https://chrisloganmedia.com/], and Sunday Soda Fountain [https://sundayssodafountain.com/] – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com [https://www.foodiesoflafayette.com] Social Media Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/437445600497753] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/foodies_of_lafayette/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@FoodiesofLafayette]

How Sunday's Soda Fountain Turned History Into A Modern Hangout

A lot of restaurant stories start with a menu. Ours starts with a building, a chipped tile floor, and a stranger who walks by and says, “That used to be the old soda fountain.” We’re sitting down with Mike and Setareh Delcambre inside Sunday Soda Fountain in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana, and they take us through the real behind-the-scenes journey of bringing historic spaces back to life without sanding off what made them special in the first place. We talk about Mike’s early leap into creating 307 Jazz Club, the “trial by fire” moment of suddenly leading a team in his 20s, and how a passion for music and design shaped a venue that drew touring musicians. From there, the story keeps expanding: The Green Room’s sustainability roots, the realities of operating bars and restaurants, and the way real estate investing can become a tool for downtown revitalization when you’re willing to bet on underloved blocks. Then we get into what makes Sunday Soda Fountain so unique: the research into soda fountain history, prohibition-era influences, and why counter service, house-made sodas, and a smart alcohol program actually fit together. Mike and Setareh also share the tough operational pivots that changed everything, including the move from quick service to table service and scaling days back to protect the guest experience. If you love adaptive reuse, historic restoration, and the craft of building community-centered places, this conversation is for you. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, then share this with a friend who loves downtown Lafayette, and leave a review with your favorite thing to order at Sunday. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, [https://www.rouses.com/] Logic Refrigeration HVAC [https://getlogicservice.com/], Ounce of Hope [https://www.ounceofhope.com/], Cajun Table [https://thecajuntablellc.com/], Vermilionville [https://bayouvermiliondistrict.org/], Soul Haus Kitchen [https://www.soulhauskitchen337.com/], Chris Logan Media [https://chrisloganmedia.com/], and Sunday Soda Fountain [https://sundayssodafountain.com/] – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com [https://www.foodiesoflafayette.com] Social Media Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/437445600497753] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/foodies_of_lafayette/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@FoodiesofLafayette]

Jan Scott Richard Turns Community Into A Plan

A mayor who still keeps a hand in the restaurant? That combination sounds impossible until you meet Jan Scott Richard, the Mayor of Scott, Louisiana and the owner of Cajan's. Sitting down at Sunday Soda Fountain, we follow the path from growing up in Scott to chasing soccer all the way to Milwaukee and Tallahassee, then returning home with a clearer idea of what a strong community can look like. We dig into the real-life mechanics of building a local restaurant in the middle of the Acadiana food scene: taking what worked from a deli background, adapting it to Cajun culture, and protecting traditions like a 1942 chili recipe that lives on through the Original Scott Boudin hot dog. Jan also explains why Cajan's thrives as a Monday through Friday breakfast and lunch spot and how staying present with regular customers keeps the place grounded. From there, the conversation turns to local leadership, transparency, and why he believes local politics should be where politics starts and ends. We talk flood history and flood mitigation, including practical drainage work like channel cleaning, culverts, and roadside ditches, plus a standout public-private partnership that helped create a major retention pond and public amenity in record time. We also get into soccer coaching, raising kids who want to lead in their own way, and the behind-the-scenes story of how Boudin Fest grew into a regional attraction after Scott earned the “Boudin Capital of the World” designation. If you care about Scott Louisiana, Lafayette culture, Cajun food, small business, community leadership, drainage solutions, or Boudin Fest, this one connects it all. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, share this with a friend who loves Acadiana, and leave a review telling us what topic you want next. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, [https://www.rouses.com/] Logic Refrigeration HVAC [https://getlogicservice.com/], Ounce of Hope [https://www.ounceofhope.com/], Cajun Table [https://thecajuntablellc.com/], Vermilionville [https://bayouvermiliondistrict.org/], Soul Haus Kitchen [https://www.soulhauskitchen337.com/], Chris Logan Media [https://chrisloganmedia.com/], and Sunday Soda Fountain [https://sundayssodafountain.com/] – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com [https://www.foodiesoflafayette.com] Social Media Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/437445600497753] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/foodies_of_lafayette/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@FoodiesofLafayette]

The Restaurant That Changed Lafayette: Ep. 2

A 94-year run doesn’t happen by accident, and it definitely doesn’t happen by cutting corners. We’re sitting down at Poor Boy's Riverside Inn in Lafayette with Richard and Lori Hurst to hear what it takes to carry a multi-generation Louisiana restaurant forward while keeping the food, the service, and the standards consistent enough that regulars can taste the difference the second a recipe slips. Along the way, we get the kind of stories you only hear from people who’ve lived it, like training across every role, the old-school days of expanding to multiple locations, and the unforgettable origin of the first lobster tank in Lafayette.  We also dig into what makes this place feel like home to so many families in Acadiana: scratch-made cooking, a serious seafood program, and menu items with real history behind them. We talk flounder on the bone, Crab Meat Imperial, stuffed redfish, and the philosophy that great drinks deserve as much attention as great food, right down to house-made mixers and a gentle push to put the phones away and actually talk at the table. If you care about Cajun food, Creole influence, and the craft behind “best seafood in Lafayette” searches, this conversation is for you.  Then it gets real. We unpack how Hurricane Katrina and COVID changed supply chains, pricing, staffing, hours, and the day-to-day stress of keeping the lights on, plus why catering and private events became a key survival pivot. We also talk about social media reviews and the human impact of online negativity, and why we’d rather you tell your server and let us fix it than save it for later behind a keyboard. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a friend who loves local Louisiana restaurants, and leave a review so more people can find us. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, [https://www.rouses.com/] Logic Refrigeration HVAC [https://getlogicservice.com/], Ounce of Hope [https://www.ounceofhope.com/], Cajun Table [https://thecajuntablellc.com/], Vermilionville [https://bayouvermiliondistrict.org/], Soul Haus Kitchen [https://www.soulhauskitchen337.com/], Chris Logan Media [https://chrisloganmedia.com/], and Sunday Soda Fountain [https://sundayssodafountain.com/] – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com [https://www.foodiesoflafayette.com] Social Media Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/437445600497753] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/foodies_of_lafayette/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@FoodiesofLafayette]

The Restaurant That Changed Lafayette: Ep. 1

A single lunch can change a city’s palate, and that’s exactly where this story starts. We’re at Poor Boy's Riverside Inn with Richard and Lori Hurst, chasing the real origin of a Lafayette restaurant that feels stitched into Acadiana itself. From a grandfather selling snowballs downtown in the 1930s to a po-boy that made customers stop and ask “what is that,” the early years are pure Louisiana hustle, built on big breakfasts, bigger workdays, and a stubborn belief that people will follow quality. We walk through the pivotal moves, including the St John Street beginning and the Pinhook years where a drawbridge and the river shaped daily life. Then we get into the kind of local history you don’t find on a menu: floods that force hard decisions, the moment Riverside becomes the first air conditioned restaurant in Acadiana, and how that comfort turned the dining room into a gathering place for students and regulars. Along the way, we talk New Orleans inspired classics like Crab Imperial and Oysters Rockefeller, plus the family rule that consistency is everything. And yes, we go straight at the legend: redfish. Back when many Lafayette diners saw it as “trash fish,” Larry Hearst found a way to sell it, win people over, and help redefine what Gulf seafood could be here. We also tease the blackening story, swap memories about growing up inside the restaurant, and share the unexpected George Rodrigue connection that still lives on through Riverside’s kids’ menu art. Subscribe, share this with a fellow food lover, and leave a review if you want more deep dives into the people and places that made Lafayette dining what it is today. The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, [https://www.rouses.com/] Logic Refrigeration HVAC [https://getlogicservice.com/], Ounce of Hope [https://www.ounceofhope.com/], Cajun Table [https://thecajuntablellc.com/], Vermilionville [https://bayouvermiliondistrict.org/], Soul Haus Kitchen [https://www.soulhauskitchen337.com/], Chris Logan Media [https://chrisloganmedia.com/], and Sunday Soda Fountain [https://sundayssodafountain.com/] – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time! learn more: foodiesoflafayette.com [https://www.foodiesoflafayette.com] Social Media Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/437445600497753] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/foodies_of_lafayette/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@FoodiesofLafayette]