The first Zydeco Breakfast was held Saturday, April 25, 1998, as the concluding event of the International Business Exchange hosted and managed that year by the City of Lafayette’s International Center. Arrangements were made for Major Handy’s band to play. There were 42 international delegates present from several parts of Europe and Canada. Café des Amis owner Dickie Breaux got so much positive feedback, he decided to make the Zydeco Breakfast a weekly tradition.
In 2017, the Zydeco Breakfast tradition continued one block away in downtown Breaux Bridge, at Buck & Johnny’s. Thankful for the vision of Zydeco Breakfast pioneer Dickie Breaux, Coatney Raymond and her team have kept the spirit of Café Des Amis alive in a space that holds 3-4x as many locals, travelers, & partiers each Saturday morning. Visitors come from every corner of the globe to experience the ultimate display of Cajun exuberance and livelihood.
November 2016
It’s bright and early on Thanksgiving morning. Many of us are awake, slowly sipping from our mugs and finishing our preparations for the big meal. Some of us are still asleep, dreaming of the feast to come. For the 16th consecutive year, the Buck, Indest, and Raymond families are wide awake and have been for a while. Each year they share Thanksgiving morning together.
For the past six years, they’ve met up at Buck & Johnny’s, the famed former Domingue’s Motors turned widely-heralded family eatery. They won’t break bread and talk about their blessings of the past year. They won’t be making their own plates and piling them to oblivion. They’ll will gather with their employees, friends, and members of the Breaux Bridge community to serve those in need. This year, they will serve more than 700 members of the community. More than 700 people less fortunate.
Partnering with Buck & Johnny’s has given the venture even bigger wings. The commercial kitchen, the helpful staff, and the large space for operations have become catalysts for “bigger and better”.
For 16 years, Mr. David Buck has poured his heart, his wallet, and his sweat into this Community Thanksgiving. In 2015, he received the Leader in Philanthropy Award for St. Martin Parish. Like every good deed David Buck does, he rathered it kept quiet. And so, I will keep this piece short.
The importance of leaving a mark on your community is not lost on these families. It is not lost on Buck & Johnny’s. No matter your situation, leave your own mark.
Happy Thanksgiving, Acadiana