Saving a local restaurant: A Taste of Louisiana

Food has an incredible way of bringing people closer together, and Cajun food is no different. A local Cajun restaurant recently has done just that.

Taste of Louisiana is a Cajun restaurant off First and Cornhusker Road. Chef Pokey Black came straight from Louisiana to try something new in a different place. He wanted to escape from a location that had little opportunity. So, he came to Lincoln to start cooking food he loves to make. Pokey started the restaurant and brought foods like gumbo, jambalaya, fried catfish and other comfort foods to life. “Everything I do, I put my heart and soul into everything. Especially when it comes to cooking because that’s really what I’m passionate about,” Pokey said.

Along with cooking comfort food, Pokey reached out to the community. Every last Wednesday of the month and every holiday, he would close his restaurant to feed the homeless out of his own pocket. Throughout his short time here in Lincoln, he has made a name for himself in making some amazing food and being an incredibly nice person. Unfortunately, things would not be fantastic forever.

Opening a restaurant in 2020 was a difficult battle to fight. He was denied a small business grant the city was giving out because he had passed the due date. Following this, COVID-19 brought challenges in bringing in customers and staff. For a long time, Pokey was the only member on staff, working as both the cook and the waiter. Eventually, he needed to look for a second job on top of handling the restaurant just so he could make ends meet. He brought in family from Louisiana to help. The high rent and the skyrocketing prices of food became a big issue in keeping the restaurant running.

Hearing about this, the community that Pokey helped decided to help him out in return. A close friend of his, Carrie Kiene, began a GoFundMe page with a goal of $10,000 to help Pokey. This started a chain reaction, leading to the story being picked up by news channels. Shares have climbed high. The attention from the news brought many people through the doors of the restaurant. “I look around and I think this can’t be real,” said Pokey.

At this point, the GoFundMe is expected to be a success. Pokey came to Lincoln to help and cook for a community that he didn't even know. So far, he has done both. Now, the community is working to help him keep his doors open.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-taste-of-louisiana-owner-pokey-black

            https://www.klkntv.com/lincoln-restaurant-struggling-to-stay-open-community-stepping-up-to-help/

By TJ Pittenger