Daniel Joseph Becnel
June 20, 2008June 25
June 25, 2008Longtime seafood broker Johnny Ledet and his wife, Dr. Linda, are gambling they’ve found the right combination by converting their commercial property into a stop for appetizing Cajun-Mexican dishes, a little fun playing slots and a healthy serving of homegrown music.
The Raceland site on Louisiana Highway 182 was once home to a small gas station and a storage area.
The Ledets decided it was an ideal stop for tourists to enjoy a good meal, hear some Louisiana music and top the night off pulling levers on a few slot machines.
“Raceland lacked a place where people could go out for a night on the town, so to speak,” said business spokeswoman Shannon Ledet, the couple’s daughter. “My father researched the business venture and knew that it would be a sound investment.”
With a keen business sense and a love for the seafood industry, which is credited to Johnny Sr., Shannon’s grandfather, the family operation began to take root.
“Being around the seafood industry is a trade that has been passed down from generation to generation,” Shannon explained. “My grandfather Johnny Sr. owned Johnny’s Country Bar in Klondyke, La., and my great-grandfather was a big seafood man.”
Besides the Cajun Country Travel Plaza, Johnny Jr. has owned and operated Warbuck’s International Seafood in Raceland for years. The company specializes in Cajun caviar.
The La. 182 property underwent a massive facelift before opening. Shannon said her father put a lot of money into the remodeling the property, and since the opening of the business has turned a good profit.
Cajun Country sits on 30,000 square feet of land, and can easily be distinguished from other gas stations along the corridor: It’s the one decked out with an LSU Tiger theme. The Ledets, Shannon admits, are die-hard Tiger fans.
“My grandfather was a big LSU fan, and so is my father,” she said, glancing at the LSU memorabilia covering the travel plaza’s walls and floors.
Although the family adopted its love for the Purple and Gold in the middle of Nicholls State territory, Shannon quickly noted they have remained true to the region’s roots, thus the name Cajun Country Travel Plaza.
The plaza includes a fueling station and convenience store, a casino and an entertainment center, all of which are owned by the Ledets but managed by others.
The gas station – called the Nocko Trading Post – was renovated first. To legally be able to install video poker machines, the fueling site had to be fully operational, Shannon said.
In addition to gasoline and diesel fuel, the site offers just about anything needed for hunting or fishing expeditions in south Louisiana’s bayous.
The Cajun Country Casino did not open until August 2006. “We had to get everything in order before we could open the casino,” she explained.
The first ingredient for a successful outpost: A family restaurant.
It was on a trip to Natchitoches, where the Ledets own a cabin, that the family wandered into a little Mexican restaurant. They were so enamored with the food and the couple operating the business – Maria and Silvina Esparaso – that Johnny Jr. made an offer the Esparasos couldn’t refuse: Come to Raceland and run his plaza restaurant.
The Esparasos packed up their belongings and headed to Cajun Country. In no time, the El Cajun’s La-Mex Restaurant opened.
“They serve some of the best authentic Mexican food you will ever taste. Granted, my father had to add the Cajun portion to the menu, hence the name,” Shannon said.
The last feature added to the plaza was the Cajun Country Event Center, which became operational in April.
“My dad wanted his sound system to be just right, so he did not open the center for live entertainment until it was complete,” Shannon said.
Wedding receptions and private parties were held in the venue prior to the official opening.
Today, live entertainment is featured on Friday and Saturday nights. A calendar of the center’s upcoming entertainment can be viewed at www.cajuncountryevents.com or www.myspace.com/cajuncountryevents.
Unlike any other bar, casino or restaurant, the establishment adheres to the Smoke-free Louisiana Act. Johnny Jr. takes prides in it being a non-smoking establishment.
“People don’t want to come into a place that’s filled with smoke, they came to enjoy themselves not fan smoke the entire time,” she said.
With a complete family outing in place, one might think the Cajun Country Travel Plaza is complete. Not so. The Ledets just entered into a business agreement with top executives to open a recording studio – Mother’s Farm – at the far end of the property. Shannon said, “It will be a place where artists can come and grow their music.”
