The St. John Restaurant owner welcomes you in with a warm embrace.

In the heart of the city, St. John Restaurant is located at 203 N New Market St, Saint Martinville sits. Inside the sounds are always heard, with jokes, conversation aplenty, and of course good food.

The St. John Restaurant opened up a little over 12 years ago in a small 40-seat restaurant, which was originally owned by former chef Craig Baudoin.

Following his retirement from Teche Bank after 25 years in St. Martinville owner Chip Durand was planning on working on his farm in Coteau Holmes, but realized there was something else he was missing from his life.

Four years after taking over the restaurant, it was moved to its present location after 13 months of repairs and renovations.

“I realized I missed the people and the customers while I was working at the bank,” Durand said. “When the small restaurant became available, that was my chance. It would be a hobby, and it was not that big.”

In the past, Durand owned meat markets, and other stores, so owing and operating a restaurant wasn’t new to him.. They were similar, but also different in a lot of ways, he said.

“I said we can do it and it would be fun,” Durand siad.

The St. John Restaurant soon went from 40 seats to almost 240 seats. And for those seats, which are always filled, you can find Durand mingling and laughing with his regulars as he makes his rounds.

The restaurant soon grew to become a hotbed destination for visitors from places like Lake Charles, Morgan City, Opelousas, Baton Rouge and even as far as New Orleans.

“People travel a distance to come visit and eat with us and have a meal,” Durand said.

The St. John Restaurant is primarily a seafood and steak restaurant, and their No. 1 seller is the 12 oz. ribeye steak, and their second best seller is the “Chef Craig’s Original Jumbo Lump Crab Cake,” which was developed by chef Baudoin.

“Almost all of the seafood are the recipes that he created 12 to 15 years ago,” Durand said. “After that, it gets to things like shrimp and grits and seafood gumbos. It’s a mixture of seafood and steak.

The future for the St. John Restaurant is as bright as the lights illuminating from their glass windows on a weekend. They are constantly increasing in sales, and Durand said he is excited for the future of the St. John Restaurant.

“We are moving forward,” Durand said. “We are here to serve the community of St. Martinville for years to come.”

The food is served hot, and fresh, the atmosphere is warm and inviting. Durand tends to sit, chat and often spends hours with his customers. At the St. John Restaurant, it’s a place for locals to enjoy the food and themselves.

While he isn’t as involved as he used to be, Durand said he still finds time for the customers, one of the things he enjoys most at his restaurant.

“Making people happy, that is what I love most about the customers,” Durand said. “That is what I like.”