Lafayette barbecue joint looks to B.R. for first franchise

Four years after opening in Lafayette, 2Paul’s Radically Urban BBQ has plans to open its second location in nearby Broussard and is also looking to expand in Baton Rouge, says co-owner Gary “Paul” Roy. The Broussard location will be owned and operated by Roy and his fellow investors in the original restaurant, he says, and they hope to have it open by the middle of next year. The Baton Rouge location, however, will be the company’s first attempt at a franchise. “The reason for doing the Broussard location is to demonstrate and replicate what we’ve done at our first restaurant, and hopefully make the idea of a franchise more palatable,” Roy says. A few locations in Baton Rouge have been looked at, Roy says, and he’s spoken with some potential investors in Baton Rouge. “It’s nothing concrete at the moment, but I’d love to expand to Baton Rouge because I went to high school there, lived there for a few years and still have a lot of friends there,” he says, noting 2Paul’s does some catering in the Baton Rouge area. “We’ve had a great response to our food in Baton Rouge and I think we could do well there.” Roy says more locations and investors need to be vetted before firmer plans for Baton Rouge begin to materialize. For more about 2Paul’s, you can check out its website here. —Steve Sanoski