A destination for traditional Cajun cuisine and a cup of coffee is less than an hour’s drive away.
Sitting at 149 Fuselier Road in Arnaudville, Louisiana, The Little Big Cup offers free Wi-Fi and a cozy environment to visit and eat with friends and family. The owners, Kevin Robin and Sanjay Maharaj, have different backgrounds and expertise that combine to shape a successful restaurant and catering business.
Robin spent 20 years in New York as the director of recruitment at New York University and worked in psychology before deciding to move back to Arnaudville and pursue work in his family’s business, Russell’s Food Center.
Maharaj is a native of Trinidad who also worked in New York for a few years as a branch manager for Wells Fargo.
In the beginning, Robin and Maharaj wanted to create something sensitive to the community’s needs in addition to their own. They found a need for a kitchen to manage their catering business, Russell’s Catering Service, alongside the restaurant.
The duo began with only the coffee shop and the kitchen, but when they saw a need in the community for more, they began offering a nighttime dinner menu created specifically for busy moms to pick up.
“The community just responded really well to that, and it kind of grew and evolved from there,” Maharaj said.
Now their menu features items ranging from traditional plate lunches, salads, soups and desserts to a special Boucherie Brunch on Sundays.
The name of the restaurant is a play on words in remembrance of a coffee shop in Manhattan which is now closed called “The Big Cup.”
As far as plans for this year go, Maharaj said their focus surrounds a variety of aspects.
“We’re still working on finding the right menu items for the many different people with dietary needs like gluten-free and vegan,” Maharaj said.
They also plan to continue to promote community involvement, work closely with the art community and local charities as well as showcase live
music.
You can reach Ashlyn Rollins on Twitter @ash_r96.
Coffeehouse provides traditional French culture immersion
January 14, 2015
More to Discover