At Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette, their celebrated fried crawfish poboys are sold exclusively on Fridays during Lent.
Photo Courtesy of Jamie Orillion
Glenn Murphrees restaurant career nearly ended just one night after it started.
He was chewed out for the way he peeled an onion.
Credit:Photo Courtesy of Jamie Orillion
All my friends were at theMardi Grasparade, so I said, You know what?
Gods got a funny sense of humor, because thats what I ended up doing for a living.
Murphree bought Olde Tyme Grocery inLafayette, Louisiana, more than 40 years ago on his 23rd birthday.
Glenn Murphree and wife, Cheri, posing with their daughter Becca circa 1988.Credit: Courtesy of Glenn Murphee
The place came with aisles of canned goods, five shopping carts, and plenty of character.
Ragin Cajuns football jerseys and a crucifix hang above the back counter.
During Lent, Catholics eat seafood [instead of meat] on Fridays.
Credit: Cedric Angeles
It took time to get it just right.
I worked at least 25 or 30 hours playing with different batters, trying different things, Murphree recalls.
When he finally came up with a recipe he liked, he introduced it to his customers.
All five of the couple’s children have worked at the restaurant (from left: Glenn, Lauren, Cheri, Becca, Gregory, and Ross; not pictured, Brad).Credit: Cedric Angeles
We sold it all.
Olde Tyme Grocery has been slinging the specialty sandwich ever since.
But duringLent, that number more than doubles.
Credit: Cedric Angeles
They hire 15 to 20 additional staffers to handle the volume.
Even so, its a lot of work.
The team shows up at 5 a.m. to begin prepping the crawfish, and the lunch rush is nonstop.
Credit: Cedric Angeles
Its a little kitchen, says Kennedy.
Well put 18 people in a place that normally holds only seven.
These days, theyre planning for the usual rush.
There are rewards for the staffers who survive all seven Fridays: eternal bragging rights and a commemorative T-shirt.
You cant buy one, says Murphree.
I wouldnt even give a shirt to my mom or my sister-in-law.
You have to earn it.
