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New Orleans-themed restaurant changing Florida restaurant landscape
New Orleans-themed restaurant changing Florida restaurant landscape
New Orleans-themed restaurant changing the landscape of Florida restaurant scene
Tallahassee, Fl – When Charlie Youngs found himself unemployed in 1990,
the out-of-work construction engineer decided he could make a better
living serving up po’ boy sandwiches and gumbo.
At a beachside bar over several beers, the Louisiana native told his
neighbor and good friend Jon Sweede about his dream of opening a chain
of po’ boy shops in Florida that would serve some of the same
Creole and Cajun delicacies that he had grown up eating at home.
Sweede, who spent two years waiting tables, washing dishes and managing
several seafood restaurants in Siesta Key, Florida didn’t know a thing
about Creole or Cajun cuisine, or that there was a difference between
the two. But he was immediately convinced the concept would work.
“I didn’t know what Creole was,” Sweede said, “but I knew no one in the
nation was doing that at a national-level in a moderate price range.”
The two decided to devise a restaurant business plan. It began in the heart of New
Orleans where Youngs and Sweede spent weeks sampling the most authentic
Creole and Cajun cuisine the city had to offer.
Sweede soon learned that Cajun cuisine was spicy fare that originated
in Louisiana’s countryside. Creole cuisine, traditionally infused with
herbs, was inspired by a blending of Spanish, American, African,
German, and Italian flavors that were all present in New Orleans during
the 1700s.
Eighteen month later, Youngs’ and Sweede’s business plan was put in writing.
Po’ Boys Creole Café would serve traditional Creole and Cajun fare,
including gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish, red beans and rice, specialty
Louisiana beers and their namesake, po’ boy sandwiches.
But their concept would break the mold of traditional Creole-style
eateries by offering mainstream foods such as wraps, salads and
sandwiches, all served at a reasonable price in a sports bar
atmosphere. The restaurant would feature a full-service Sunday brunch
serving eggs benedict, Bananas Foster waffles and beignets.
The atmosphere of the restaurant would be distinctly New Orleans.
Photographs of landmarks in the Big Easy and Mardi Gras memorabilia
would adorn the walls.
Po’ Boys Creole Café would earn a reputation for serving up good food
and good times by hosting Mardi Gras bashes, crawfish festivals and Fat
Tuesday celebrations.
“Our deal was to have a place where we would have fun,” Youngs said. “We wanted a place where we would enjoy hanging out.”
But neither Youngs nor Sweede had the money to open the casual
Creole-style cafe that looked so lucrative on paper. But Sweede knew
someone who did.
Sweede and a high school buddy Carmen Calabrese had made a pact as
teenagers to open a restaurant together. Their goal was to make it
happen before they turned 30.
At their 10-year high school reunion, Sweede presented Calabrese with the business plan he and Youngs had cobbled together.
A general manger of a Chili’s, Calabrese had the financial resources
and the restaurant management experience that Sweede and Youngs did
not. He immediately resigned his position at Chili’s and joined Youngs’
and Sweede’s business venture.
With $17,000, they opened their first 24-seat restaurant in
Tallahassee, Florida in 1992. It sat only blocks away from Florida
State University.
For a year, Youngs, Sweede, Calabrese and a fourth friend (who is no
longer a business partner) ran the restaurant without any staff.
“We each worked 117 hours a week,” Sweede said.
The back-breaking hours paid off.
After a year in business, the partners turned enough of a profit to open a second location in downtown Tallahassee.
Since then, Po’ Boys Creole Café has grown into a six-unit chain that continues to build a presence in Florida.
Tallahassee has two 2,500-square foot stores which gross $1.5 million
each. Five franchise locations operate in Gainesville, Tampa, Brandon,
Jacksonville and Orlando.
Thirteen years later, the three business partners remain the best of friends.
“I always said if this business ever got between us, I would sell it and keep the friendship,” Sweede said.
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Media Contact:
Krista Zilizi
Quantified Marketing Group
(706) 627-3204
(407) 936-1010
kzilizi@quantifiedmarketing.com
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