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Chapeaux had known all along that he’d run
Brother’s Seafood someday; he just hadn’t known how
soon that day would come. He and his brothers, Orlando
II and Adam, soon began the long process of renovating
the restaurant. Renamed Orlandeaux’s Café, the eatery
reopened to a relieved and grateful public in May 2018.
Orlandeaux’s Café diff ers from Brother’s Seafood in
signifi cant ways. Th ere’s craft beer on tap, a completely
new fl oor plan, and fl at-screen televisions behind the bar.
But the menu has remained largely intact; Chapeaux can’t
name an item from his father’s menu that he doesn’t serve.
When asked if it now feels like his restaurant,
Chapeaux solemnly shakes his head. “I still tell the
kitchen [staff ], ‘Please don’t break my father’s dishes,’” he
says. “We don’t use measuring cups. I just chop, pour, or
sprinkle until I hear my dad say, ‘Stop!’”
As unsure as Chapeaux claims to be in his new
role, he has an almost eff ortless confi dence about
commanding a high-volume kitchen. At 27, he was
a mechanical engineer trying to ward off restaurant
ownership for as long as possible. At 30, he employs
52 people, including many who have been working at
Chapman-owned restaurants for longer than Chapeaux
has been alive. How did he make this transition from
oilman to restaurateur so successfully?
“My dad groomed me in the business because he
knew that, one day, this would happen,” he says. “But
you can’t teach love. And you can’t teach someone to
want to love people by serving them food and making
them happy, which is what we do here.” THIS PAGE (Clockwise from top left) Seafood Gumbo
and Stuff ed Shrimp, Swamp Water cocktail, and Red
Beans with Sausage.Chris Jay lives in Shreveport and blogs about the local food scene at 20x49.com. He and his wife, Sara, produce a podcast about food and drink in north
Louisiana called Stuff ed & Busted, as well as All Y’all, a live storytelling series.