"I would say our food makes us a destination. I’ve had people from Minnesota to Texas come in. They tell me it’s on the list of places to stop,” said Cory Neveaux, the owner of Hot Food Corner II in Delcambre, Louisiana.
“I appreciate people who come in daily,” Neveaux said. “I try to change things up for those people, but overall, I try to stay consistent. They want to know you can get a kabob or chicken tenders,” he said, adding, “I have two guys who come in and get chili dogs for breakfast and come back for lunch and order chili dogs.”
Neveaux worked in the oil fields for most of his life, but when he had the opportunity to buy the location in 2022, he took it. “I’ve always had a passion for food and hospitality. I just enjoy cooking, sharing meals and creating memorable experiences for others,” he said.
“Service is very important,” Neveaux said. “The majority of the employees have been here since day one. Customers like to see a familiar face.”
Plate lunches are the star of the show here. No one wants to order a plate lunch and find they can see the bottom of the plate. It’s all about getting your money’s worth. Neveaux keeps prices low and the plate full. “Some of my most expensive plate lunches are the combination lo mein at $12.99 and the brisket, the fried ribs and Crawfish Monica at $13.99. Crawfish Monica is fancy, so it costs a little more, but customers love it. I was afraid of serving it at first, but we got a good reaction.”
Sometimes, it’s the little things that set a c-store menu apart from the rest. “We do something different,” said Neveaux. “With each meal we give customers a slice of cake. Most places don’t give dessert with a plate lunch.” His wife bakes the cakes from a mix, and the mix and icing are available for sale in the store.
“I rotate plate lunches every week,” Neveaux said. Dishes in the rotation include smothered pork chops, smothered sausage, chicken fried steak and meatball stew.
Neveaux tried to get away from a Louisiana favorite. “When I took over I said we’re not doing smothered chicken. My staff said we can’t get rid of it. We have smothered chicken four days a week. It’s in a brown gravy with rice.”
Customers plan ahead. “People order plate lunches for the next day. We write tickets the day before for the lo mein. We want to make sure we have enough. We sell out of étouffée and shrimp and crab stew.”
