After 30 years, Cape Girardeau staple Broussard's Cajun Cuisine moves to new location

For 30 years, Broussard's Cajun Cuisine called 120 N. Main St. home.

Not anymore.

The restaurant shut its doors Jan. 17 to move just down the block to 114 N. Main St., where Riverfront Gifts and Collectibles stood. Hunter and Stephanie Clark, who have owned Broussard's since 2004, reopened the restaurant in its new location Wednesday and are back to business as usual.

"The move has gone smoothly," Stephanie Clark said. "People love the new building and the way we've decorated it."

The Clarks aimed to feature an old-world New Orleans style and a rustic, bayou feel in their newly updated and renovated space.

Patrons dine on the first floor Monday of Broussard's Cajun Cuisine in downtown Cape Girardeau.Laura Simon

"It's a fine line to walk," said Stephanie Clark, who wanted to be sure everyone felt just as at home in the new venue as they did in the old.

The relocation provided the Clarks with a more sound structure to work and space to increase the number of tables by about 33 percent. The new location features upper- and lower-level dining space, a balcony with the potential for outdoor seating in warmer months and a banquet room.

The Clarks do not expect to use the banquet area right away, allowing for an adjustment to streamline operations and get acclimated to the new site. Stephanie Clark predicts the banquet area will be available in three months or so.

Although the address and ambiance may have changed, those who enjoyed the menu at Broussard's have nothing to fear.

"Nothing has changed at all except for the building," kitchen manager Wayne Cook said.

Taylor Lawrence, a server at Broussard's Cajun Cuisine, peers down to the entrance from the second floor just before the lunch rush hits Monday.Laura Simon

One thing that has changed with the new building is a nonsmoking policy.

Clark concedes their ban on smoking may drive some clients away, but predicts they will gain new patrons because of the new rule.

"I think we may have lost some customers in the old building because of the smoking," Cook said.

But not everything about the location has different. Just as 120 N. Main St. featured large, colorful murals, the new location is no exception.

"Kyla Clark painted these," said Cook, pointing to a freshly painted wall. "She was one of our old employees, and she graduated from SEMO. She actually came up from Florida to paint the mural. She came back to do this for us."

The first and second floor of Broussard's Cajun Cuisine is seen Monday in downtown Cape Girardeau.Laura Simon

The relocation has been in the works for 2 1/2 years, but many people did not know about it until recently. A sign went up in the store, and an announcement was posted on Facebook in December.

"We have so many loyal customers," Cook said. "We didn't want them to think they were shutting down."

The popular Cajun restaurant originally opened in 1986 as Broussard's Town Pump, after Baron and Kathy Broussard bought The Town Pump, the restaurant that resided there for 14 years.

The layout changed over the years, starting in one small building, then expanding into the building next door to offer more seating, a dance floor and an oyster bar. Floors were elevated, murals were painted and Felix the alligator made his home along the south wall.

Over the years, ownership changed, and "Town Pump" was dropped from the name and replaced with "Cajun Cuisine." Live music came and went, as well as the alligator tank, but the location remained the same.

What will become of the old building, the Clarks do not know. They prefer to focus on the future.

"We look forward to serving the public for at least another 30 years," Stephanie Clark said.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

114 North Main St., Cape Girardeau, Mo