FSR May 2023

On the Rise BY MALINA SEENARINE

Building Up Steam Cajun Steamer Bar and Grill is bringing its party atmosphere to new states and plates.

WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY to get involved with Cajun Steamer Bar and Grill arose for Gaston Lanaux, the cur rent president and COO, he knew it was a chance to join a brand reminiscent of his Louisiana upbringing. Lanaux’s intrigue in the Cajun con cept grew after an associate of his—who got involved with the business in 2010—passed along their enthu siasm. At the time, Lanaux was serving as a regional director of operations for The Saxton Group in Dallas, plus gaining valuable experience as a multi-unit McAl ister’s Deli franchisee. Six years later, Cajun Steamer’s founder and previous owner Jeff Thompson exited the brand, and Lanaux stepped up to the plate. “I was so excited about it, because it felt like coming home,” Lanaux says. “And that’s what’s really cool about my job. I get to go to work every day and just kind of share the culture and the food of my hometown. “ With seven locations across Alabama and Tennessee, Cajun Steamer offers Cajun and Creole dishes in a casual but lively environment. Green, purple, and yellow Mardi Gras-themed decorations fill the space, along with the sounds of live music and a welcoming staff ready to “invite you to the party.” While other Cajun restaurants focus

ESTABLISHED: 2004 FOUNDER: Jeff Thompson HQ: Birmingham, AL CATEGORY: Cajun and Creole

A STEAMER PLATTER FEATURES GULF SHRIMP, A CLAB CLUSTER, OYSTERS, MUSSELS, AND HOT-BOILED CRAWFISH WITH CORN.

on one element of the cuisine, Cajun Steamer’s expansive menu features fried, steamed, and boiled seafood, as well as jambalaya and po’boys. It also offers more cultivated dishes like a Red Fish Rockefeller, a creole redfish filet topped with jumbo shrimp in a creamy spinach bacon sauce. “We really pride ourselves on creat ing that fun, exciting environment, but also being authentic to Louisiana cui sine,” Lanaux says. The concept for Cajun Steamer started in Alabama when Thompson, who is a Louisiana native just like Lanaux, moved to Birmingham for work. Thompson grew up with a love for Cajun food and

was disappointed when he couldn’t find any in Alabama. This led him to open a roadside stand where he sold live and boiled crawfish from a trailer that was attached to his truck. With the popular ity of the food stand and interest from the community, Thompson opened the first Cajun Steamer location in Hoover, Alabama, in 2004. With its newest restaurant opening in March in Hendersonville, Tennessee, the company plans to open three to four stores a year, expanding to locations in the Southeast as well as in existing mar kets. That includes expanding to Geor gia and possibly parts of Mississippi and Florida, Lanaux notes. He also wants to

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