Owner Lacey Park opened Cajun Cantina in July 2015 in Magnolia as a family endeavor. Just nine months after opening, the restaurant relocated from a small spot on FM 1488 to a bigger building—the Yellow House, one of the oldest structures in Magnolia—at 312 Commerce St.
“I never imagined it’d be as busy or as successful as it is in such short timing,” Park said.
Park said the restaurant has received more business since its relocation in April; it is now located just off FM 1774 along The Stroll in Magnolia.
Park is both owner and cook at the Cajun restaurant, and her family members pitch in to help with the restaurant throughout the week. Her children, Addison and Dawson, attend school but help out during the summer.
“My mom helps a few days a week, my cousin helps in the kitchen, and my husband helps when he gets off from work,” Park said. “So it’s a big family deal.”
Before opening Cajun Cantina, Park owned a boutique in Magnolia. However, she said the boutique scene was beginning to become competitive.
“It wasn’t busy enough for me [at the boutique],” Park said. “There were other boutiques that were coming into Magnolia, and I don’t like to compete, so I just decided [to] try this.”
Her husband, Dale, likes seafood, so Park chose to serve Cajun cuisine at the restaurant, she said.
Owner Lacey Park (second from left) and her family serve guests at Cajun Cantina.[/caption]
Since Park is the only cook, Cajun Cantina has a small menu, but she said she plans to add feature items to the lunch and dinner menus.
Cajun Cantina’s most popular menu items include crawfish etouffee ($14.95), the fried shrimp platter ($13.95) and Cantina pasta ($9.95)—penne pasta with grilled chicken in a cream sauce, Park said. A salad bar is also available. Additionally, she said a new menu item is becoming popular with customers—a hamburger served on a sourdough, jalapeno cheddar bun.
Park said she offers lunch specials for $7.50 to accommodate customers who may only have a few minutes and a few dollars to spend.
She said she rebranded her business as offering a quality dining experience, and she wants her restaurant to have a different atmosphere than other restaurants nearby.
“That is what I want to thrive on is—my employees putting heart and soul into the service, putting heart and soul into the food in everything to where everyone feels like, ‘Wow, I could sit there for hours and enjoy it,’” Park said.
Cajun Cantina features live music on Friday nights and karaoke on Saturday nights. The restaurant also includes an outdoor patio area and an area with gift items for purchase, similar to those found at Park’s former boutique.
She said she would like to establish Cajun Cantina as the focal point of The Stroll.
Park said the most rewarding part of owning the restaurant is combining two of her favorite things: cooking and chatting with her customers.
“I love people and interacting with people,” she said. “I get to do that all day long, and I love to cook as well, so I’m getting a little bit of both worlds.”
312 Commerce St., Magnolia 281-259-8212 www.facebook.com/cajuncantinamagnoliatexas Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (Tue.-Thu.), 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (Fri.-Sat.). Closed Sundays and Mondays
