Du Jour: Andy Blouin, Serranos Salsa Company

When Andy Blouin and his business partner, Sean Malone, decided to launch Serranos Salsa Company in April 1999, few Mexican restaurants were serving anything beyond traditional Tex-Mex. Blouin says he and Malone knew they had to feature basics like fajitas and quesadillas to make it, but they threw in other dishes that drew from Latin and South America’s diverse regional dishes. Cuban pork, refried black beans, fried plantains made it onto the menu, as did an Ecuadorean-style ceviche. Serranos has remained a steady part of LSU’s North Gate culture, located next to the Chimes on Highland Road. Blouin says his motivation for opening a restaurant stemmed from a desire to work without being chained to a desk. An agribusiness major at LSU, he was drawn to food as a career, and he worked in several restaurants during and after college. He says opening his own eatery gave him a chance to work in all aspects of the food business, from purveying to managing to serving. “I found my satisfaction was giving somebody the whole experience,” Blouin says. Click here to read more.