LAFAYETTE, La. (NEWS 15) — A former Ragin’ Cajun football star has turned his love of cooking for friends and family into a booming restaurant business. Now, Shane's Famous Quesadilla Burgers is about to undertake a major expansion.
Former Ragin’ Cajun football player Shane Vallot's dream to open his own restaurant has gone much better than expected. He is set to move into a much bigger facility next month, which will allow a lot more versatility for his customers.
Vallot's burgers are bringing the sizzle back to Lafayette. The Lafayette native and former Ragin’ Cajun football offensive lineman decided to leave coaching and pursue his dream of opening up his own restaurant.
After starting a successful catering business and food truck, he opened up Shane's Famous Quesadilla Burgers restaurant off Pinhook Road a little over a year ago and business has been booming. The funny thing is his signature item was created out of necessity.
"Started cooking burgers for some teammates at my house and I was out of buns and it was too late to go get buns, so I had some tortillas and said, ‘We are going to make this thing work,’” explained Vallot. “The guys really liked them. I said, ‘If I open a restaurant one day, I will put this as a special.’"
Vallot added he felt like he had a good feel for the restaurant scene in Lafayette before opening his restaurant. He also said he felt he could create a new niche for dining in the Hub City.
"I have tried about every restaurant here in Lafayette. Not saying we everything, but the quesadilla burgers are different. I knew kind of what was missing in flavors that I craved when I was playing football," he noted.
The 25-year-old entrepreneur felt it was time to take Shane's Famous Quesadilla Burgers to another level. He is moving his restaurant to a much bigger building off West Congress Street.
"It's a spot that I think could’ve been used better in the past. I am gonna make the most of that," said Vallot.
He expects to open up at his new and improved location during the first week of 2025.
