Jumbeaux to bring Cajun-style cooking to Lansing

LANSING – Keith Havard wanted his new restaurant, Jumbeaux, to open this week. But the sign of the old place is still in the yard, and he doesn't want to give people the wrong idea.

Most everything is done. Louisiana hot sauce sits next to salt-and-pepper shakers on the tables. Food's in the kitchen. A website is under construction. Havard says he is ready to open the doors the minute he can. Soon.

He can say this with certainty: The food will be authentic at Jumbeaux, Havard's southern- and Cajun-inspired restaurant. It's taking the space at 2010 W. Saginaw St., a building last occupied by Fork in the Road.

Jumbeaux's head chef, Brandon Whitt, is a Louisiana native who moved to Michigan two weeks ago. His recipes are prepared from memory, some passed down through his family.

The shrimp creole? It's Whitt's mother's recipe. The gravy on the roast beef po' boy sandwich? He invented it.

"They say in Louisiana that people live to eat," says Havard, "and that's true. They have really good food. And we're trying to bring that concept up here."

Havard came up with the idea for Jumbeaux after losing his job at a now-defunct mortgage lender during the recession. He lived in Louisiana for part of his childhood before moving here and was a hobby cook. He worked in sales for a few years as he studied the restaurant industry and developed his business plan.

He recruited Whitt, the brother of one of his close friends, from Louisiana. Whitt is a culinary school graduate who has worked in restaurants in New Orleans. He decided to move to Michigan in the winter. He still isn't used to snow.

Jumbeaux's concept is simple: A fast-casual style, in which customers place orders at a counter and the food is delivered to their table. Few of the dishes will be made-to-order, since some — like jambalaya and gumbo — are made in larger quantities. Most of its food will be made fresh daily and kept warm.

Havard hopes Jumbeaux — whose name is a French-inspired twist on Jumbo's, a name he'd also considered — will appeal to a business lunch crowd that needs to be in and out in under an hour. The restaurant has capacity for 44, so he hopes quick service will prevent long wait times.

The menu includes traditional Southern staples: crawfish étouffée, smothered chicken, a carrot souffle, fried okra. Alligator will be served on special weekly. ("A lot of people up here probably have never tried it," Havard said. "It's really good.")

The aforementioned shrimp creole is roux-based, with tomato sauce and heavy on bell pepper. Whitt's smothered chicken is pan-fried white meat braised in onion gravy, served over rice.

"A lot of it's just home cookin'," Whitt said.

Jumbeaux is different, which is part of the appeal, said Rory Neuner, director of the Saginaw Oakland Commercial Association, which serves businesses on Lansing's west side.

Its location is prime for foot and vehicle traffic — the building sits at the corner where Oakland Avenue and Saginaw Street meet — and has, in essence, been branded as a restaurant spot, Neuner said.

But the site also has had turnover. Fork in the Road, the brick-and-mortar eatery that sprang from local food truck Trailer Park'd, closed in November. Owner Jesse Hahn said the restaurant had money troubles, including a $35,000 federal income tax lien and not enough capital, that eventually would have led him to raise prices or cut wages.

Before that, it was Skyline Coney Island. Before that, Big Tony's Pizza.

"We're really sad to see Fork in the Road go, but I think we're really excited for a new restaurant to open," Neuner said. "I'm all for diverse food options."

Havard isn't worried.

"The location is great," he said. "We get a lot of natural visibility."

At a glance

Jumbeaux, a new southern- and Cajun-style restaurant, will open soon at 2010 W. Saginaw St. in Lansing, a building last held by Fork in the Road.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, to start

Website: Coming soon

Facebook:www.facebook.com/jumbeaux