Photos by Denny Culbert.
Situated in downtown Arnaudville (population 1,064), Little Big Cup’s level of sophistication may surprise many. However, the restaurant’s celebration of good food and a beautiful atmosphere made complete sense after a single meeting with Kevin Robin, one of its owners. A chat with Robin, 51, is more than a conversation about good food. It’s a lesson in history and literature, with a heaping dose of Cajun roots thrown in for good measure.
Robin and his partner, Sanjay Maharaj, 32, opened Little Big Cup in Arnaudville in October 2012, a year after Robin returned to the area after twenty years in New York City where he was the City University of New York’s director of recruitment. Maharaj, who worked in banking in New York, is originally from Trinidad.
The couple originally opened Little Big Cup as a coffee shop, giving new life to an old building across the street from Russell’s Food Center, the grocery store Robin’s family has owned since 1934. Coffee alone was not enough for Robin and Maharaj. A year ago, they expanded, adding a large dining room and a beautiful deck that overlooks Bayou Fusilier.
When asked why the pair decided to leave New York City to head for the backwoods bayous of Louisiana, Robin said, “There’s an old Cajun saying, ‘After one time, comes another.’ Well, that was the time.”
Adjusting to life in Arnaudville after life in the Big Apple has not been difficult for either Robin or Maharaj, Robin explained.
“Sanjay is a native of Trinidad. Trinidadians are from an ancient culture. They settled in a tropical environment and became an esoteric mix. Being picked up and put somewhere else, you hold onto it differently,” Robin said. “We have a running joke that Sanjay is more Cajun than I am.”
Cricket Frederick, Little Big Cup’s head waitress and maker of delicious desserts, is more than happy to sing the praises of the Friday and Saturday evening surf-and-turf buffet, the Sunday brunch, and Robin and Maharaj. If Frederick’s enthusiasm and dedication to the Little Big Cup and its owners is any indication, Robin and Maharaj not only know how to create a restaurant with a sense of place and good food, they also know how to manage people. Frederick started at Little Big Cup the day it opened and is full of pride in what it has become.
“I love it. I love working here. I love Kevin and Sanjay. We have built something special here,” she said, just before she began listing the many items the restaurant serves for its famous Sunday brunch. “Cinnamon rolls, biscuits, eggs, bacon, sausage, frittata, crème brulée French toast, grits, breakfast potatoes, fruits, white gravy, pork stew, pork roast, pork ribs, jambalaya, baked beans, sweet potatoes, and boudin—plus, we have live music.”
Frederick stands in the middle of the dining room and recites the Sunday brunch list with the rhythm and passion of poetry; and even though the Little Big Cup began with coffee, it has grown to encompass so much more—a special blend of St. Landry Parish poetry seems to be at the center its success. Not only does Darrell Bourque, former poet laureate of Louisiana, host occasional poetry readings there, but, in general, the place imparts to its many patrons a sense of the roots and wings that are such a big part of Robin and Maharaj.
“In New York, one of the most glorious things to me was that in that thirteen-mile strip of land, you see everyone. You see that diversity and difference. The whole world is there,” Robin said. “Coming back here, we’re using culture and celebrating a sense of place. We’re reclaiming old wood [for] renovating buildings. We’re serving food grown in a 150-mile radius. We are global citizens here in Arnaudville.”
To celebrate that global-ness, Robin created a massive white-and-blue world map that serves as the focal point of Little Big Cup.
“That giant world map—this is us,” he said. “The bold 1950s homogenization failed, and people are coming back to these cultural touchstones to give their lives identity and meaning. Right here, right now, we are on the power point. Arnaudville is such a fertile ground for diversity.”
Robin explained that Arnaudville was neglected by the interstate system and nearly obliterated by the oilfield recession and boll weevil. “Yet, it’s kept its beautiful Cajun sense of self,” he said. “While people are leapfrogging over each other, these cultural connections are a way to connect to each other—and people are more drawn now to what is authentic. Located between those two beautiful bayous, Arnaudville has what so many people are looking to find.”
Though running a restaurant takes plenty of time and energy, Robin and Maharaj are focusing on keeping their lives in balance and are careful not to spend all of their time and energy on Little Big Cup. About a year ago, they bought an abandoned eight-thousand-square-foot house on a corner in Arnaudville’s downtown.
“It had been abandoned for ten years,” Robin said. “It anchors one of the corners of the town and was getting into such disrepair that there was even talk of tearing it down.”
All total, the Robin and Maharaj have renovated four Arnaudville properties … and counting.
“I think the restaurant has started more interest and appreciation for what Arnaudville has to offer. Little Big Cup is attracting a lot of people. Every time we go, it’s packed. The word has gotten out,” said Natalie Wilkes, an Arnaudville resident and frequent Little Big Cup guest.
Nicole Morrow, of Opelousas, agrees. “It’s a great place with wonderful atmosphere. I especially love the back patio that sits on the water,” she said. “Definitely a hidden gem in Arnaudville.”
Robin said he’s not surprised other people are discovering the tiny town’s appeal.
“I attended elementary school right around the corner at the Little Flower Convent, which doesn’t exist anymore. St. Theresa was the school’s patron saint. St. Theresa said, ‘I will let fall upon me a shower of roses.’ Ever heard of the Flannery O’Connor piece that says, ‘Everything that rises must converge’? I believe all of that goodness that has been preserved in Arnaudville—all of that good Cajun folk simplicity and all of those beautiful behaviors—has risen, and now it’s starting to fall down rose petals.”
Maharaj and Robin seem to celebrate Arnaudville every chance they get. “We started focusing on showcasing young talent. We have a local nine-year-old brother and his twelve-year-old sister who play music on Sundays, and another group of kids who play on the weekend,” Robin said.
They have also created a small archive/library featuring families with long-time ties to and deep histories in Arnaudville. They invite others to add old photos of their grandparents, family recipes, or other Arnaudville memories. Their efforts have evolved into an Arnaudville Memories Facebook page.
“Ironically, Sanjay is the administrator of the page,” Robin said with a laugh.
So, what is the Little Big Cup experience like?
“It’s like going to your mama’s for Sunday lunch. It’s like going home for the holidays,” Robin said. “That’s what I’m most excited about. Kids and families putting down their cell phones, no texting—just enjoying being here and being together. It’s a moment to step back in time and signs of what to look forward to up ahead. That’s what I’d like people to know about Little Big Cup.”
Details. Details. Details.
149 Fuselier Road
Arnaudville, La.
(337) 754-7147 • littlebigcup.com
Hours: Wednesday–Thursday: 11 am–8:30 pm Friday 11 am–9 pm Saturday 9 am–9 pm Sunday 9 am–2 pm Closed on Monday and Tuesday
