Baton Rouge is a city that pretty much gets lost in the food conversation. Maybe it’s the curse of being neighbors with New Orleans, or having all things black fried and Cajun just 45 minutes to the west. Or maybe it’s because Baton Rouge is … well … understated Baton Rouge.
Whatever the reason, Baton Rouge isn’t the kind of city that immediately comes to mind when the conversation is cuisine.
Yet over the past several years, the city has indeed become something of a culinary hub, heralded by headlines as “an underrated food city” (USA Today), “Louisiana’s premier destination for down home food and Southern hospitality” (The Daily Meal) and “Louisiana’s culinary capital” (Wine Enthusiast)—take that, New Orleans—and the recent wave of recognition is undoubtedly welcomed.
Though the focus seems to be on what’s happening within Baton Rouge’s food culture, what’s fascinating are those restaurant entrepreneurs who are expanding their brands—and management influence—far beyond the city limits.
It’s more far-reaching than you might realize. Some homegrown restaurants, like LIT Pizza, are leaving their mark in other pockets of the state. Others, like Walk-On’s, are meandering across the country. McDonald’s franchisee Valluzzo Companies, on the other hand, is expanding its regional holdings into other states. Then there’s the fast-growing Raising Cane’s, which is master-planning a global footprint for the years to come. Throw in a face like Chef Jay Ducote—who, outside of the Red Stick, is perhaps most recognizable to Food Network viewers from his 12 consecutive episodes on Food Network Star, where he finished as runner-up—and Baton Rouge proves a burgeoning force within the $3.4 trillion global food industry.
This isn’t about fine dining or some new twist on a cultural favorite. Rather, it’s about the business of restaurants, and how these five entrepreneurs are expanding their reach—and revenue streams—through expansion and franchise campaigns.
So, why now? Read the latest Business Report cover package, which explores Baton Rouge’s food business, and the people pushing the city’s cuisine forward.
