Johnson’s Boucanière

Johnson’s Boucanière, a restaurant and specialty meat market, was constructed in 2008 on an iconic site in Downtown Lafayette, just one block from St. John Cathedral. The project pays homage to Johnson’s Grocery, a beloved family run market located in Eunice, Louisiana, which closed in 2005. As described by Mary Tutwiler in The Times of Acadiana:

"When Eunice icon Johnson's Grocery closed in 2005, it was the end of an era for the family-run market… 'A lot of the customers we built on were friends,' Wallace Johnson told The Independent Weekly. 'A lot of them passed away. Nothing lasts forever.' Wallace's daughter, Lori Walls, is making him eat his words..., standing in the quirky aluminum-clad building … an homage to her father."

This project uniquely unites site, concept, and narrative. The design embraces regional materials and the familiar pier-and-beam construction, re-imagined with a contemporary twist to create a fresh approach to South Louisiana regional architecture. Johnson’s Boucanière serves as a bridge—preserving family traditions, recipes, and stories while introducing a modern take on their menu.

On a personal level, this project holds special significance. It’s not just a building—it represents my wife’s vision for her restaurant, inspired by her father’s store, Johnson’s Grocery. It is a tribute to their legacy and a celebration of bridging the past with the present, both in architecture and in culinary traditions.