Brandon Duncan, co-owner of Port Quick Shop in New Iberia, Louisiana, glides through the kitchen as the frenetic breakfast rush begins. Scores of empty white paper bags sit near the hotbox waiting to be filled for the customers that will soon descend on the store. It’s a bit like the last few minutes before a big game, but this game happens each morning.

Brandon was once a vice president and financial advisor with Merrill Lynch. He served in that position for 15 years, with his wealth management practice focused on managing the liabilities of affluent individuals and business owners.

“I worked with business owners in raising equity and divestiture,” he said. “I didn’t think that one day I’d convince my parents not to monetize a small c-store.”

His parents, Brooke and Lucia Duncan, had thought that they had enough of the c-store business. “We were about to close after 15 years of running an exceptional business. We had 18 employees, plus my husband and I were here full time,” Lucia explained.

From Hurricane Rita flooding the store in 2005 to the BP oil spill in 2010, the ups and downs of a business were weighing heavy on the Duncans. One day, they decided to shut it down.

“I think it might have even been before lunch, they literally locked the doors and said, we’re done,” recalled Brandon. “I initially reopened it just to sell the store. We had a small staff, and then I realized that it was a darkest before dawn situation, that they were just tired. And it was a typical small business owner just having enough.”

“Eventually, I convinced them to let me run it. I moved here permanently about nine years ago,” Brandon said. Even with Brandon at the helm, it remains a family business. His mom comes in a few hours a day to help.

Building Out the Menu

Brandon has built out the foodservice program at the store and developed some popular menu items.

“He’s added a lot, like shrimp tacos. We never had that before. He does shrimp and pasta and lasagna. He just kind of does his own thing and nobody can cook as good as he does,” said Lucia.

The plate lunches are popular—and there are some favorites. “The hamburger steak is a crowd favorite, so is the crawfish étouffée,” said Brandon. “Usually about once a week, I’ll do a smoked chicken plate lunch along with a really awesome rice dressing.”

The hamburger has a touch of Cajun flair and is a hit with customers. It’s a half-pound smashburger that’s “seasoned to perfection.” The Cajun trinity of seasoning, onions, bell peppers and celery, are placed in a blender along with other ingredients. Once blended, the mix is added to 80% lean ground beef. This technique makes for even distribution of the seasoning in the meat.

Like everyone with a food program, the Duncans are grappling with rising costs.

“I realized the other day that these eggs are small, and I paid 71 cents an egg. We crack hundreds of eggs. So, when we make an omelet, we’re probably using five eggs, even though it’s not a big omelet. You’re charging for an omelet with sausage and cheese and bacon and everything else. I realized that we probably weren’t making money on an omelet, which is unconscionable. So managing food costs is a big thing.”

“We try to keep it affordable, but we’re in the business of making a profit,” Brandon said.

Water Means Business— and Storms

Port Quick Shop is located near the Port of Iberia, which is a busy deep- water port. Six companies moved here in the last year and land is being cleared for new industries—which means more workers and more customers for the c-store.

Brandon developed a business strategy to tap into the port worker customer base. He delivers food to the work sites during the workers’ short breaks. “In the morning, I’ll bring a combination of breakfast things, you know, all the things we serve like sandwiches, breakfast burritos. I also bring some lunch meals, like barbecue burgers, hot link po’ boys, chili cheese dogs, stuff like that,” Brandon said.

“Now my break business is probably the biggest of the day as far as delivery,” he added.

But being so close to the water in Louisiana comes with its own risks. It’s not a question of if a hurricane will hit the coast, it’s when. “My dad was having to empty the store every time they had a threat of a big surge. He was getting 18-wheelers to move everything off-site. It was a huge task and very stressful,” Brandon said. “My fiancé and I emptied the store three times in the last eight years.”

Brandon’s father came up with a creative solution to save time with each big surge. “He put everything in the store on wheels, including the shelves. Even the large counters with the register are on wheels. Then he installed a boat lift at the back door,” Brandon explained. Everything in the store can be rolled out and lifted to a raised storage container made out of a shipping container.