Growth (n.): A stage in the process of growing; progressive development.

Okay, so there’s other definitions as well, but I don’t think they apply as well. We toyed with a motto of “That Cajun Growth on Indy’s Eastside”, but it didn’t play well, didn’t roll off the tongue.

But the good kind of growth, now that’s what we’re talkin’ about! New menu items. New regular customers. New hours! New employees! So many new things, it’s hard to keep track of it all.

The wall came down. Our vast open space is more conducive to keeping the customers happy. Fed. Entertained. Depending on the customer, it keeps us entertained too. You know who you are.

We’re tickled at our growth. We’re a little scared of it, but we embrace a challenge. We’re ready for it. Bring it on. Did I mention we hired new employees?! In this economy, and on the Eastside, no less!

Allow me to reflect on that for a moment. Two years ago, I went out on a limb. I left a comfortable job in Corporate America. A job that was not backfilled. It simply went away, along with thousands of other jobs in the same company over the past two years. And… the result? The result has been nothing short of amazing! I created my dream job. My wife’s dream job. My customers’ favorite hangout. And I created five jobs on the Eastside in the process. Okay… I didn’t do it. God did it. All I did was take a leap of faith.

And so… the next step: longevity, sustainability, health & well being. No, I’m not talking about the restaurant. I’m talking about Mama and Papa Roux, I’m talking about Paul and Allison, our two hardworking and dependable friends who have been here from the earliest days. We’re reaching the point where five 12 hour days in a row, generally without breaks, are getting to be too much. We need to learn to take time away, lest we grow too weary to serve you with the same quality and pep we’ve had for two years now.

So we’re doing just that. Mama and I will go first. We leave this Sunday, off to The Deep South for a few weeks. We’ll visit our shrimp trawlers and discuss all things shrimpy. We’ll visit Vaucresson Sausage of New Orleans and discuss our common love of stuffing meat with other meat. We’ll visit a bunch of our smaller vendors as well (funny… by “smaller” I mean they play a much smaller role at Papa Roux. They’re actually the bigger companies, but without our mom-n-pop shrimper and sausage king, we’d be in serious trouble!).

And, of course, we’ll enjoy lots of time in that magical world where time slows way way down, and you enjoy every breath and sight and smell. The swamps south of New Orleans, the beaches in Alabama, but mostly the dining tables across the South where we are but guests, enjoying Southern Hospitality at its finest.

Papa

PS – This message was specifically crafted for you, our loyal and faithful customer. Please visit Papa Roux while we are away during the first two weeks of May, and offer Paul and Allison your warmest wishes, your encouragement, and your heartfelt condolences.

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