Bayou On Bay, a Cajun and Creole restaurant in downtown Bellingham, is set to close on March 5. However, the family it created isn’t going anywhere.
“It's very different than any job I've ever worked. As soon as I started, it was like you were accepted by everyone that works there,” Carly Bell, a bartender at Bayou on Bay, said. “It's very family-oriented. I would say we are a big family.”
Bell worked several positions at Bayou On Bay over three years and said everyone on staff works every job at some point.
“So if you need help doing something in one position, and they're working a different one, it's not like they're not gonna help you out, it’s just very friendly,” Bell said.
Steve Crosier, the owner and founder of Bayou On Bay, has been a large part of the reason for the friendly environment. Crosier has been running bars and restaurants since he was 22 years old.
Crosier washed dishes at Bayou On Bay for 10 years.
“The kitchen staff knew that I was the owner and that I was there in the kitchen, so I don’t know if it made a difference, but I got respect, and I respected them,” Crosier said. “We had a very good working relationship.”
Bell said that Crosier comes in most days despite living far away.
“He loves coming in and just watching us work, hanging out with us and talking with us,” Bell said. “He actually listens and wants to know about your life.”
Crosier said that rising costs, especially wages, are a main reason for the restaurant’s closure.
“Higher-end restaurants can raise prices to kind of cover the increase in labor,” said Crosier. “I’m a middle-of-the-road restaurant, which I’m proud of, but I can only raise my prices so much.”
Bayou On Bay satiated cravings for many Bellingham residents over the years, including Lolly Fulmer, who had a craving for beignets when she was pregnant.
“I woke up, and I was dreaming about beignets. I was like, ‘I need beignets,’ and I started looking up how to make them,” Fulmer said. Fulmer then realized she couldn’t make beignets at home without a deep fryer, so she searched for where to find them.
Fulmer and her husband went to Bayou On Bay right before they opened. Fulmer said a server came up and asked if they wanted some water or drinks.
“And I'm like, ‘Oh, I need beignets. I need them immediately. I'm so sorry, I need them. I've been craving them for hours,’” Fulmer said. “They burned my fingers, and I loved them. I ate all six of them,” Fulmer said.
Fulmer said the staff was kind and an essential part of why eating at Bayou On Bay was wonderful.
Fulmer said that she’ll miss Bayou On Bay, and she isn’t the only person.
“It’s hard. I've just spent a lot of hard times at this restaurant, and it’ll be different not having that,” Bell said.
The employees at Bayou On Bay still plan to meet outside of work once it has closed. “It’ll be nice to come out with my best friends still being in my life,” Bell said.
Over the last 18 years, Bayou On Bay has created lasting friendships for many people, including Crosier.
“Some of the first people that worked for me are still friends and some of my favorite people,” Crosier said. “But I wouldn’t trade anybody I have now for one of them.”
Crosier will host a Fat Tuesday celebration on March 4, the day before the restaurant shuts its doors forever.
Jackson Kelly (he/him) is a second-year student at Western Washington University studying journalism news/editorial and theatre. In his free time he enjoys playing Pokemon, going out and enjoying nature, and nerding out over transformers. He can be reached at jackson.thefront@gmail.com
