Louisiana natives Greg and April Schwalbach are bringing some down home flavor and warm, cajun hospitality to Atascocita. They are the proud owners of the very first franchise location of The Lost Cajun in the Houston area.
The Lost Cajun’s menu will offer diners a sampling of traditional Cajun fare, including a variety of gumbos – seafood, chicken and sausage, and vegetarian. Red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee and lobster bisque also top the menu, as does another Cajun staple, jambalaya. And what Cajun restaurant would be complete without beignets for dessert?
The Lost Cajun further distinguishes itself with a fantastic down-home atmosphere – a true hole-in-the-wall with wooden tables, unique decorations and an expertly crafted playlist of Zydeco music. The open kitchen concept will whisk you back to the wooden counters in Louisiana’s gumbo houses; patrons can watch their food being cooked and hear the courtesy and respect commonly associated with Cajun culture.
Since they're both first-time restaurant owners, I had to ask them why they decided to jump in now?! Well, their dream of owning a restaurant started where a lot of great stories are told...Around a boiling pot of crawfish.
The Schwalbachs would host good ol' fashion crawfish boils at their home, entertaining dozens of friends and family on a regular basis. The partygoers loved the offerings and kept prompting the cajun couple to open their own place. After being prodded by them constantly, Greg and April finally started looking into different options a few years ago; Should they go with a franchise or start their own?
Once they decided to go the franchise route, it took no time at all to spot a winner - The Lost Cajun. They even made several trips to the original locations, which are in Colorado. Yes, you heard me right...Colorado. After taking in everything they had to offer and speaking with the original "Lost Cajun", their minds were made up. All that was left was to choose a location...And what better location than a spot just a few minutes away from their Atascocita home.
"It was important to both of us that the restaurant had to have a warm feel and authentic food," said April. "The Lost Cajun is all about the southern Louisiana-style cooking and dining experience that you get back home." Greg also added that at other places, "...you sit, they take your order, they bring your food, and that's it...It's kinda cold-feeling. We didn't want that at all. We wanted our place to be warm and inviting, just like if folks were at our home."
The Schwalbachs will be opening their restaurant on May 1!
