Crawdaddy's Cajun, Creole restaurant in West Allis plans to reopen in early October

WEST ALLIS - Crawdaddy's Cajun, Creole restaurant, closed since July 16, will take on new life, having been purchased by a son of the former owners of the Meyer's Restaurant in Greenfield.

Even though Meyer's specializes in classic German cuisine, the soon-to-open Crawdaddy's on Greenfield Avenue will still serve Cajun and Creole favorites, said new owner Troy Meyer.

To those favorites, he said, he plans to add Louisiana comfort food.

"A lot more comfort, like stews," Meyer said. "Warm foods that they know is from scratch and a lot of love."

Comfort food

He grew up in his family's restaurant that knew the value of such comforting dishes.

"My family had Meyers Restaurant on 76th (Street) and Cold Spring (Road) and it had a lot of comfort food and found it to be our niche," Meyer said.

There won't be any German comfort food, but New Orleans style comfort food suits the new Crawdaddy's owner just fine, as New Orleans cuisine is a favorite of his, Meyer said.

The target for opening for Crawdaddy's on Greenfield, 9427 W. Greenfield Ave., is early October, Meyer said.

Mayor pleased

"Over the years, Crawdaddy's has been one of the most well-known and beloved restaurants in the city," Mayor Dan Devine said. "I'm very excited to see that tradition continue."

Indeed, Crawdaddy's goes back a long way.

The original Crawdaddy's was at 6501 W. Greenfield Ave., said Steve Schaer, manager of planning and zoning. Then it moved across the street to 6414 W. Greenfield Ave. It closed in May 2014, he said. Then it reopened in early 2016 at 94th and Greenfield, he said.

RELATED:Crawdaddy's, longtime Cajun restaurant in West Allis, closes its doors

Specials

Meyer thinks he can make a go of it, even though the original Crawdaddy's struggled, by emphasizing new specials all the time.

"We'll have a nice menu, but we'll constantly have specials that rotate throughout the month," he said.

There will be fresh items, new ideas to keep the restaurant new and exciting, he said. 

And with a lifetime in the restaurant business, he has a good feel for what people like, he said. The menu will constantly evolve, he said.

Looking for passion

Although the former Crawdaddy's chef had already left by the time Meyer bought the restaurant Aug. 30, Meyer said he is confident he will find another with the same passion for food preparation as he has. Rather than having a head chef, the new Crawdaddy's on Greenfield will have co-chefs: Meyer plus a soon-to-be chosen chef.

He has been interviewing and already has some top candidates, he said.

"We're looking for the right person who has a passion for food," Meyer said.

"This will not be a business as much as a love for food," he said. He likes preparing food and then seeing the expressions of diners as they enjoy it, he said.

Meyer said the restaurant business is in the Meyers' family blood. His grandfather and uncles all owned restaurants, he said. His father sold Meyer's Restaurant in Greenfield earlier this year and Troy stayed on to help the new owner settle in.

"I'm excited to have my own place," Meyer said.