Du Jour: Maureen Joyce, MJ’s Cafe

Vegetarian Maureen Joyce spent years navigating local restaurant menus, finding few inspired options that met her specifications. A month ago, she opened a lunch counter of sorts for fellow vegetarians and seasonal eating fans called MJ’s Café. Situated within the Capital Heights modern interiors shop, Artvark, Ltd., the focus of Joyce’s small-scale operation is vegetable and seafood-centric lunch fare created with local ingredients. Joyce took the plunge into the restaurant business after a serendipitous catering opportunity emerged. She was working at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge when the organization needed a last-minute vendor to prepare 400 lunches for Fest-for-All artists. An avid home cook, Joyce took on the challenge. “I got so much great feedback, so much love, from that experience,” she recalls. “I knew I wanted to do more.” Click here to find out more.