Patents and Pop-Ups

Across the Bayou State, people are taking their destiny into their own hands and pursuing entrepreneurial dreams of owning their own business. On this week’s show, we encounter a Louisiana-style cornucopia of self-starters who forged their own path to find success in the sphere of food. We begin with Alfonzo Bolden, who, along with his brother Troy, is co-CEO of Cajun Nation Cajun Seasoning Company, based out of Lafayette. While there's no denying their food talents, Alfonzo and Troy's true genius lies in knowing just when to trademark a name – which for them, often precedes the product concept. Seafood City's famed Al Scramuzza had a product – but needed to create a market for it. Al shares the story of his early role in catalyzing today's crawfish craze. Then, we visit a marketplace that acts as a local incubator for budding food entrepreneurs. We sample the goods at the Pop-Up On Tchoup – a weekly makers market that Rouses hosts on Saturdays at their Uptown New Orleans store. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.