“It’s all about the ‘Community’ … another phenomenon that I never saw coming,” admits David Bilyeu, founder, chef, business manager and human resource department of Bayou Catering, the Cajun and Caribbean Caterer that has steadily risen to success over the past four years. “We love what we do and show it every day.”
Last year at this time, Paradise NEWS introduced David & his three-year-old company,“Bayou Catering”.
“Mom and Dad were both great cooks from the Midwest, but I grew up in Baton Rouge … land of great food and Southern hospitality,” he told us. He’d also been to the Florida Keys and Caribbean a few times, and he fell in love with all the food there, which he found was just as bold and unique as Cajun food.
We told you about David’s entrepreneurial spirit and his early love of aquariums, which promulgated an aquarium design and maintenance company, which, over 14 years paid for two college degrees. He recalls, “My passion for cooking Cajun food started in the best Cajun restaurants, which had my aquariums.”
He learned how to taste in Louisiana and learned how to cook in Florida. David was a newly degreed Civil Engineer in 1996 when he relocated to Florida from Baton Rouge. He worked 15 years in the Land Development Business in the Tampa Bay area.
“Always trying to find the ‘human’ side of the business,” he says, “I developed a lot of my original recipes at home after work in those 15 years in what I called ‘therapy cooking’.”
Treating co-workers to his early renditions, David realized that his love for spicy food was not equally shared by all Floridians. He now keeps the spicy recipes for himself… and the less kicky version for his clients. He started catering part time in 2007.
Early in 2009 he saw the writing on the wall and said, “Let’s try this! It’s all about bold favors and the ‘wow’ of something different.” Bayou Catering started with Chamber of Commerce functions in Treasure Island, then Tampa Bay Beaches, then St.Petersburg.
“That was great exposure,” he recalls. “Everyone loves good food and when they see the passion and attitude you have for what you do, we love hearing them say, ‘This is different from what everyone else is doing and we love it!’”
David explained his two-pronged business model. “The corporate lunch portion is mostly traditional fare with some of our unique CCC (Cajun, Caribbean and Coastal) items. The best of Louisiana, The Caribbean and the coast from California to Maine.
‘The event catering portion is our special mix of Cajun, Caribbean and Coastal gone wild. We come up with new dishes regularly, both in terms of the items themselves and how they are prepared and displayed.”
David started wearing his trademark “Pepper Chef Pants” because he liked them and because of his love for spicy food. The uniform makes him extremely recognizable to clients and vendors. With a fleet of “mobile cooking monsters,” Bayou Catering serves parties from 20 to 600.
– The small trailer grill…The Cajun Bullet
– The large trailer grill …The Bayou Beast,
– A mobile Crawfish boiling trailer The Cajun Hot Tub.
The article ended with his “plan to increase our activity in the Community.” We have since seen him at the Clearwater Jazz Festival, The Chowder Challenge, The Taste of the Beaches at Horan Park this July, and as caterer for a dozen other events around Pinellas County.
He also ran a VERY Popular Thanksgiving Offer of Cajun or Jerk Fried Turkey with all the traditional fixings, plus your choice of Cajun or Caribbean holiday accompaniments, like Seafood Gumbo, Oyster Dressing, Crabmeat Dip, Conch Chowder, Rum Cake, and even Caribbean Grilled Turkey with pineapple and mango salsa. The food is ready for pickup Thanksgiving morning or can be delivered for an additional charge.
Look for an order form in the Paradise NEWS October issue. Bayou Catering also made the December holidays bright for many of our readers by catering quite a number of Holiday parties, dinners and social gatherings in the Paradise NEWS readership area.
For a quote for a catering event for you or your group, call David Bilyeu at 727-644-7085, email davidb@bayoucatering.com or visit www.bayoucatering.com. Be sure to call and get your date on his calendar as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Story by Peter Roos with David Bilyeu
Date: August 2014