Cherry Fisher May, publisher of Acadiana’s business magazine ABiz, sits in for Peter Ricchiuti on this edition of Out to Lunch. Cherry admits she doesn’t have any NPR, Out to Lunch or ABiz research to back this up, but statistically she estimates per square inch there’s more great food in Acadiana than anywhere in the…

One of the traditional instruments in Cajun music is the triangle. Although it couldn’t be much more basic, its simple presence forms the foundation of many songs. There’s another kind of fundamental triangle that distinguishes and connects three sides of Acadiana – rural life, city life, and Cajun culture. This edition of Out to Lunch…

If you grew up in an average home – or you’re growing up in an average home today – “business” can seem like something very foreign. Something that people who wear suits do. Something that requires going to business school. And that means spending your life in a boring office, going to meetings, and being…

Acadiana is known for many things. From the outside, it’s mostly zydeco and alligators. But when you live here, one of the things you appreciate most is the pace of life itself. Folks take time to stop, talk, and listen to each other. So, it’s ironic that this relaxed attitude has produced one of Louisiana’s most successful…

There’s an old saying in business that’s half joke and half warning and can be applied to any location. In this case let’s say Acadiana.: “Do you know how to make a small fortune in Lafayette? Start with a big one.” Of course it’s much easier to lose money than to make it, but the…

Living in a place rich in traditions like Acadiana doesn’t mean everything stays the same. Quite the opposite. Here, tradition is something that creative and business people continually nourish and grow. Some literally, like Brian Gotreaux. Brian and his family developed Gotreaux Family Farms, growing traditional food – from veggies to tilapia – in a way…

Many of us have dreams of quitting the nine-to-five and doing what we really want. For many different reasons, that mostly remains a dream. Although it’s often said in sarcasm, Peter’s guests on Out to Lunch – Mark Boudreaux, Janie Varisco, and Skylar Manuel – are in fact living the dream. Their stories are very different,…

In Acadiana we’re quick to acknowledge the incredible talents of our Cajun and Zydeco musicians. Which is pretty natural. After all, if they’re not going to come from Acadiana, where are they going to come from? In other styles of music and the arts where we don’t have the field all to ourselves, the interesting…

Acadiana is known for entertainment. If you don’t play in a band yourself, someone in your family almost certainly does.  There’s music everywhere – from small house parties to giant festivals. But there’s more to life than music. For example, comedy.  There’s a genre of Cajun comedy, typified by our friend Boudreaux. Boudreaux usually appears to…

The conventional wisdom about starting a new business is, target a specific market. Dustin Melancon and his wife Jennifer decided to throw that idea out the window. Instead they set out to manufacture a product that can be enjoyed by Sophisticates and Punks. What product could satisfy that wide of a target market? Cupcakes. Sophi…