Find out how native daughter Coatney Raymond is growing Breaux Bridge
Published 2:30 pm Tuesday, January 5, 2021
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How fortunate for the city of Breaux Bridge that when its “native daughter” Coatney S. Raymond believes in something, she is 150 percent involved. So, when the managing partner of the well-known Buck & Johnny’s Restaurant says she’s passionate about her city and her restaurant, all that’s missing are the pom poms.
Raymond is a testament to what can be achieved when business smarts, a strong work ethic and the will to succeed outweigh experience. When she retired from Our Lady of Lourdes in 2011 as Director of Surgical Services, with 44 years’ experience in nursing administration, she considered her greatest professional achievement being part of the historic move to the hospital’s new facility. Operating a restaurant was not on her radar. That was the dream of her late husband’s, Johnny Raymond. When he became ill two years after opening in 2010, and was unable to maintain his active role, Coatney stepped in as managing partner.
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She had the choice to keep the restaurant afloat or make it fly. She chose the latter, turning it into a culinary tourism destination before the phrase was ever coined. After being approached a couple of times by a local restaurant owner to take over his famous Zydeco Breakfast, she finally relinquished and with two weeks preparation and the help of a strong team, she began Buck & Johnny’s Zydeco Breakfast on New Year’s Eve in 2017. The restaurant’s atmosphere, formerly the location of Domingue Motors, and a chef she describes as the best in Acadiana certainly add to the draw.
Today, locals and tourists, from all over, flock to the popular Zydeco breakfast, held on Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. Before social distancing restrictions, over 200 guests would line up outside for a great breakfast, Cajun music and dancing.
Raymond could be found at the restaurant three days a week and every Saturday greeting visitors, from as far as Thailand, China and Australia. Renowned author Patricia Cornwell and meteorologist and Weather Channel personality Jim Cantore have graced the dining room. Still amazed today at how far the restaurant has come, Raymond admits “I had confidence, but I never realized we’d take it to this level.”
In gratitude, she has given back to the community that has supported her, often offering the restaurant as the venue for a number of fundraisers and charitable affairs. For over almost 10 years, the restaurant has served Thanksgiving meals to residents in need, including members of council of aging and St. Bernard & St. Francis Churches. In 2019, the giveaway grew to the distribution of 1,000 meals.
Raymond’s efforts to promote the growth and tourism of Breaux Bridge through her involvement in the community began decades ago.
In 2000, she was looking for a way of maintaining her certification as a master gardener,which led to her starting the Breaux Bridge Garden Club. The Garden Club sponsors the annual city-wide garage sale for which cars line up bumper to bumper. As the club’s president, Raymond was instrumental in switching the garage sale from under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce to the Garden Club in an effort to keep the event within the city.
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Among other initiatives, the Garden Club also puts on a Papa Noel Christmas event where Santa and elves parachute out of an airplane and an evening Military Christmas that lights a Christmas tree for each branch of the services.
Preservation of Breaux Bridge’s culture is a subject very important to Raymond. “We have to educate our children as to who we are and what we’re about. We want them to know the Creole and Cajun culture …our Crawfish Festival…” she goes on. “We should preserve our small towns and cities because they are the heart of the country. That’s how we keep our values, history, our culture in tack.”
In pursuit of cultural preservation, Raymond became involved with The Teche Center for the Arts, the only arts center in St. Martin Parish, for which she is now board chair. She led the charge in the purchase of the Center’s building and her fundraising efforts made its 2019 renovation possible. Raymond says the mission of the theatre is to serve as the principal cultural, arts, music, education and historical center for residents and tourists of Saint Martin Parish and beyond. Before last year’s calendar of events were postponed, they reflected the theatre’s purpose, with a list of cultural and historical events, concerts, art programs and children’s camps.
This past December, the City Council accepted Raymond’s proposal (and an $87,000 donation she received) to establish a dog park in Breaux Bridge; the first phase of the project is underway.
Raymond has voiced her ideas for the city as a member of the Downtown Merchants Association and the Breaux Bridge Downtown Advisory Committee, and as a board member of St. Bernard and St. Francis Food Pantries, One Acadiana representing St. Martin Parish, St. Martin Keep America Beautiful and the Breaux Bridge Housing Authority.
She was selected by the Chamber of Commerce in 2007 as The Distinguish Citizen of the Year in 2007 and in 2015 named one of Acadiana Lifestyle’s Women Making a Difference. In 2017, Raymond was honored to received Community Foundation of Acadiana’s Leadership Philanthropy Award for St. Martin Parish
Surprisingly, she has never considered a stint in politics. The grandmother of four and great grandmother of three jokes, “Politics is for the younger ones. I’m an organizer. I want to keep giving back to Breaux Bridge. If we can get people into Buck & Johnny’s, they will be back.”
As to what her husband would think about the restaurant’s success, Raymond speculates, “He’s smiling up there now. He would be so happy and would love to see the lines on Saturday morning or Saturday night when there’s entertainment.”
Coatney ά la Mode
Favorite Music: Mellow Gold on Spotify
Hobby: Golfing and Gardening
Favorite B & J Dish: Crab Cake Coatney
Few people know: Her “love for learning the word of God.”
Favorite TV show: True stories and autobiographies on ID TV