Three decades of dedication: Crowley native’s passion driving force behind P.J.'s Grill

Peter Boulet’s life has always been centered around P.J.'s Grill.

Boulet, a Crowley native, opened his restaurant about 30 years ago and has been in the food business the majority of his life.

“I always wanted to open up my own restaurant,” Boulet said. “There has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears.”

P.J.'s Grill has been a staple in the Crowley community for three-plus decades. It started in a double drive-thru location, until he was finally able to buy property and build it from the ground up at its present location, 2021 N. Parkerson Ave., for the past six years.

“We’ve been very fortunate since we opened this new location,” Boulet said.

From Monday through Saturday, Boulet said P.J.'s Grill is open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and closes early on Sundays, at 3 p.m.

Boulet’s restaurant offers a wide variety of food. The menu consists of fast service food, leaning toward casual dining. Customers order food at the counter, and it's brought to the table.

“We started out with hamburgers, and we brought in our baked potatoes, salads, po’boys, plate lunches, platters and fried seafood,” Boulet said. “We do a lot of different things.”

One of Boulet’s biggest sellers is the spicy French fries, seasoned in-house, fried to order, and homemade frozen lemonade and root beer.

When he first opened P.J’s Grill, Boulet was young and ambitious, and it was all he wanted to do. There were times he didn’t know how he would pay his bill, but in the end, it all worked out.

“I did what I had to do, and I made it through,” Boulet said. “The community has supported us.”

Boulet said he has built his life and his restaurant to give back to those who helped him. And he continues to do so. Whether it's eating local food - something that is of great importance to him - or doing what he can to help others - it's all full circle.

Even more full circle for Boulet: His son, Peter Jr. - the inspiration for the restaurant’s name - is now running the shop. Now 36, PJ, is grasping how to run the restaurant and all that comes with it.

The elder Boulet said he couldn’t be prouder because he knows the sacrifices that come with it. There were times where he would miss baseball games or school events.

“That is what comes with it,” Boulet said. “It's just commitment and wanting to succeed.”

Boulet is hopeful and excited for what is to come at P.J.'s Grill. He wants to still be serving Crowley 20 years from now. He wants his dream to be here forever, in the hearts of those who came in for a bite of food and a good time.

Serving Crowley for as long as he has, Boulet said growing up here has allowed him to stay in his backyard and serve people he has known his whole life.  “It’s been my life, it's what I’ve always done,” Boulet said.

This article originally appeared on Gonzales Weekly Citizen: Crowley native’s passion driving force behind P.J.'s Grill