For Detroit foodies, finding unique and interesting tastes can be an adventure worth taking. So much to enjoy. Only so many hours in a day.

To kick things up a bit and get the spicy flavor of the Bayou at the same time, there is a spot that’s been around for more than 47 years and counting.

Louisiana Creole Gumbo (LCG) got its start in Eastern Market and now, it has expanded into a Northwest Detroit neighborhood with more jambalaya, gumbo and business growth, building on a solid legacy and looking to spice things up even more.

The restaurant has captured the attention and support of Mayor Mike Duggan, who is announcing its expansion today.

When the restaurant first opened in 1970, founders Joseph Stafford and his wife, Margarine, wanted to bring some Southern/Bayou fare to the Motor City. Originally from Thibodaux, Louisiana, they missed the down home flavors they grew up with. They opened and operated from their flagship location near Eastern Market and business was good. Then in 1982, the Staffords decided to retire, but wanted to keep their popular business going. Three young men approached them and made them an offer they didn’t refuse. 

Partners Joe Spencer, Doug Morrison and Charles Martin took over the business in 1983 after being groomed personally by the Staffords.

Over the years since their LCG Inc. group came in, the restaurant has gone about doing what they do – cooking Creole, Cajun and southern favorites. Running the business was the focus, but the new owners always wanted more. While they had grown into other locations over the years, running the day-to-day became an all-encompassing task. 

“The secret to our success is the outstanding and unique menu we offer, which is unlike any menu in the city, at an affordable price. Our founder’s recipes are what established us and what keeps us going,” says Spencer. 

Looking for ways to improve on what they were doing, Joe Spencer was selected in 2014 for the second cohort of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program. He credits lessons learned there with giving him tools to make LCG a more sound business.

“One of the fundamentals I learned was how important it is to grow your staff and then trust them to do what you need done,” he says. “As an owner, my time is better spent working on developing and growing the business.” 

The idea for the current expansion was birthed, in part, out of the Goldman Sachs experience and some face-to-face market research done in the flagship store in December of 2014. What they discovered was as many as 25 percent of their customers in Eastern Market actually lived in Northwest neighborhoods.

“People confirmed they love our food, but also said if there was a location closer to them, they would visit us even more,” says Spencer. “We made a determination if we were going to expand, this would be a good marketplace to do it in. Focusing on the effort it takes to develop a new business is no easy task. It is not insurmountable, but it is more challenging if you don’t have a good team around you.” 

The next step was finding a location. They found a spot in the middle of their target area at 13505 West Seven Mile Road, just East of Schaefer. The new location has the same delicious menu customers know and love, with room for several tables as well.

“It was important to us to own the building where we were going to expand,” Spencer says. “Once we found a good location and could purchase it outright, we were ready to move forward.” 

According to the Spencer, their big supporters in the expansion have been Invest Detroit, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and Motor City Match, which helped with a grant and made connections with other resources across the city. 

The new location has a full-functioning kitchen designed to handle the next phase of planned growth.

Thanks to a $100,000 grant from NEIdeas, Louisiana Creole Gumbo is planning to put two food trucks on the street in the spring of 2017. “The kitchen in our new location can service everything here, the two food trucks and up to two additional satellite locations,” says Spencer.

Spencer and the LCG Inc. partners are focusing on continued growth into the neighborhoods and in the near future, on the streets in metro Detroit. Building on the legacy of their founders and their recipes brought up north more than 47 years ago. 

For more information on Louisiana Creole Gumbo, visit their website at DetroitGumbo.com.

  Charles Martin, Comcast, Comcast Business, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, Doug Morrison, Goldman Sachs 10K Business Program, Invest Dettroit, Joe Spencer, Louisiana Creole Gumbo, Mayor Mike Duggan, Motor City Match, Small Shops