The Olde Tyme Grocery Story | How a Lafayette Icon Was Born

What begins as a birthday impulse purchase turns into a four-decade legacy of Louisiana's most beloved po'boys. Glenn Murphree's journey from 23-year-old entrepreneur to restaurant royalty showcases the magic that happens when passion meets opportunity.

With just $3,000 of his own savings and borrowed money from his father and the bank, Glenn acquired a tiny grocery store near the university campus, living in the back snowball stand while struggling to make ends meet. The legendary shrimp po'boy that would make Olde Tyme Grocery famous wasn't even part of the original plan – it emerged after late-night renovations with fraternity brothers who knocked down walls when nobody was watching. When faced with a business-defining choice between hamburgers and shrimp, Glenn's decision to focus on quick-cooking seafood would change Lafayette's culinary landscape forever.

Sixteen months after opening, Cheri entered the picture, hired to work in the snowball stand for what was supposed to be just one week. That temporary position blossomed into a marriage and business partnership that produced five children, all raised within the rhythms of restaurant life. Today, their children Ross and Becca continue the family legacy, having witnessed firsthand the blood, sweat, and tears that built an empire spanning multiple restaurants.

What truly sets the Murphree family's success story apart is their remarkable ability to cultivate loyalty. Employees stay for decades – one for 35 years – creating a workplace that feels more like family than business. This dedication to relationships extends to local partnerships, from sourcing bread daily from the same bakery for 40 years to using over 100,000 pounds of Louisiana shrimp annually.

The story even features a romantic twist that bridges Louisiana's po'boy royalty – Becca married Justin Kennedy, owner of New Orleans' iconic Parkway Bakery, after they met as competitors in a "Best Po'Boy" contest. It's the perfect metaphor for how food brings people together in a state where culinary tradition runs deep.

Experience the shrimp po'boy that started it all and taste forty years of perfection at Olde Tyme Grocery. Your first bite tells you everything about why some restaurants become institutions.

The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Logic Refrigeration HVAC, Ounce of Hope, The Cajun Table, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time!
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