LAFAYETTE — A line of cars wrapped around Louisiana Crawfish Time in Lafayette Friday night as many stayed true to their Lent traditions.
"My wife says she has to have crawfish on Fridays, so we're stuck in line getting crawfish," Michael Heard said.
With freezing temperatures making crawfish hard to get, many showed up before the restaurant opened to ensure they weren't leaving empty-handed.
"Look at all the cars! If it stays like that, then no one else has crawfish. We wanted to be the first in line, we didn't mind waiting," two friends in line added.
Owner Edward Wilkerson said the restaurant closed Thursday to prepare for the rush Friday night. Knowing that Fridays during Lent are the busiest, he didn't want to run out.
"We closed last night in an effort to build up crawfish to make sure we had enough for the whole night," Wilkerson explained.
That lack of crawfish caused several other restaurants to keep their doors shut.
"We're all in this crawfish business together. You hate to see anybody close. It's just mother nature, you can't predict what it is going to do," added Wilkerson. "It happens a lot of times, you just deal with it. Make the best decisions to come together and make it all work."
Those in line said that as long as crawfish are available, no matter the size or how long of a wait, they won't break their Friday night traditions.
"We make do. You have to do what you gotta do to keep the wife happy," added Heard.
Find the latest crawfish prices here.
