Yvette Michelle Crabtree Davis
April 7, 2008
Cecile D. St. Amant
April 9, 2008
Five years ago, Eddie Herron Jr., owner of Big Eddie’s Café in Bayou Blue, set out to make his wife Jodi’s dream of owning a coffee/pastry shop come true.
“I met my wife while I was working in the automobile industry. While we were dating she told me that she always wanted to open a coffee shop,” he said. “A year after we were married, we decided to venture out and open the coffee shop she dreamed about.”
With family’s help, the couple bought the old Chubby’s Famous Biscuits on Highway 182.
Business was good. The Herrons settled into their niche.
Big Eddie’s faced its first of many changes when, like so many other business in the area, the couple installed gambling machines in hopes of increasing revenue. The decision forced the coffee shop to be transformed into a full-fledged diner, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“We couldn’t just offer donuts and coffee. The state gambling laws mandate that we have to serve regular food if we have poker machines installed,” he said.
Eddie Herron Jr., 43, knew that this would happen because his father Eddie Sr. went through the same situation with his donut business back in the late 1970s.
The law not only required business owners to serve meals, it put strict demands on the naming of businesses as well.
Establishments that serve food and have gambling devices installed must be called a café or restaurant, Eddie Jr. said.
“Me and my wife wanted to name the business either Big Eddie’s Donuts or Eddie’s Donuts, but we had to settle for Big Eddie’s Café when we installed the video poker machines,” he said.
But Eddie Jr. had seen it before with his dad’s place. Over the years, his father’s business went through three name changes as the gambling law evolved.
Back in 1975, Eddie Sr.’s business was called Bayou Donuts, then it changed to the Donut Factory, and now it is Factory Coffee Shop and Restaurant in Houma.
With a moniker in place – Big Eddie’s Café – Eddie Jr. and wife Jodi were ready to start cranking out donuts, coffee, sandwiches and their other fare. Given Eddie Jr.’s past experience at his father’s shop, the business side came easy.
“My dad made tasty donuts for years,” he said. “I worked for him growing up, so I knew how to run a donut shop.”
In fact, regardless of what summer job Eddie Jr. and his two sisters worked growing up; they still found their way back to the donut shop to help their father.
“Growing up I would help my dad. He taught me every thing I know about baking and running a business,” Eddie Jr. said.
His sisters learned well too, opting however to use their knowledge to run a T-shirt business rather than follow in their father’s footsteps.
Seven years ago, prior to opening Big Eddie’s, Eddie Jr.’s father stopped making donuts all together because of health reasons. Now, Eddie Sr. just focuses on restaurant aspect of the business.
“Getting up at two in the morning takes its wear and tear on the body, believe me,” the younger Herron said. “My dad just got to the point where he could not do it anymore.”
Eddie Jr. picked up where his father left off, and business has been steadily increasing, he said. But it didn’t start out that way, he admits. When the couple first got into the family business, they relied entirely on “word of mouth” to reach customers.
“We couldn’t afford to advertise, so we didn’t think the business would catch on like that. People come up to us and ask all the time when are we coming to Raceland to open up a business,” he said.
There’s no expansion in the works. Eddie Jr. said the couple is satisfied with its current location. Big Eddie’s gets it fair share of donut lovers because the closest donut establishment to the Raceland area is Mr. Ronnie’s Donuts in Houma.
“We don’t have the money to expand nor do we have the time. It’s hard enough producing our product for the Bayou Blue store, let alone trying to do it for two stores,” he said. “We only have 10 workers including myself and my wife, and, like I said, it’s not easy getting up early in the morning.”
Jodi Herron pulls a tray of chocolate-covered donuts, one of many specialties offered at Big Eddie’s Cafe’ in Bayou Blue. Herron and her husband, Eddie Jr., operate the family business, which has long been a dream of hers. * Photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN
