The Jambalaya Shoppe ready to feed LaPlace, River Region

Published 12:15 am Wednesday, July 26, 2017

LAPLACE — David Brown graduated as a Sous Chef and managed restaurants for many years.

After venturing off into other lines of work, his effort back into his first love through restaurant ownership is going to mean savory food for LaPlace and the greater River Parishes.

David has teamed with wife Creshell Brown to open The Jambalaya Shoppe at 150 Belle Terre Blvd. in LaPlace. The Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

A community-wide grand opening is planned from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, which includes free jambalaya samples served all day, door prize giveaways and a chance to win free jambalaya for a year.

David Brown is shown cooking up some jambalaya at The Jambalaya Shoppe in LaPlace.

The Jambalaya Shoppe’s newest location offers dine-in and takeout, and features an extensive catering service. The location’s hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

“Why not LaPlace?” David said. “We had opportunities to go elsewhere, but LaPlace just felt right. My wife is from the tri-parish area. We have family here in LaPlace, and the people are simply wonderful. They’ve welcomed us with open arms. We couldn’t think of a better place to open our first store.”

The Jambalaya Shoppe brand succeeds because of a well-honed menu that includes a special recipe jambalaya cooked fresh daily. Daily highlights include lunch specials, gumbo, pastalaya and delicious sides and desserts.

“The most significant menu item will be chicken and sausage jambalaya, which Louisianians have enjoyed for years,” David said. “We will also offer daily hot lunch specials — a huge draw for locals in the area.”

Fresh jambalaya is cooked in house daily, and fresh ingredients are used in all dishes.

According to David and Creshell, orders are processed from kitchen to table, usually in under five minutes and jambalayas are made with gluten free ingredients.

“Kids love the food, and parents feel good about serving hot, nutritious and well balanced meals to their families,” David said. “Food is served by the plate, bucket and cooler for any sized meal. (We offer an) affordable alternative to fast food meals — the average ticket spent is the same or less than most fast food restaurant offerings.”

— Scott Forsythe contributed to this report.