How does a guy from Delhi, India, who went to college in England, culinary school in France and spent years working in New York City end up in the heart of Cajun Country cooking Indian cuisine and barbecue? For Shy Kumar, co-owner and manager of Wellcome Johnston Shell in Lafayette, Louisiana, his journey relied on a love of food and people.
Kumar spent seven years in England and left with a degree in business and finance and a master’s in mathematics. Then he “went to culinary school in France as a hobby. I was just cooking for friends,” he said. After 12 years in New York working in finance, he took a job as a systems analyst in Kentucky, where he met his barbecue guru. “The guy bought an old gas station and decided to barbecue there. He had the best barbecue in the town. He taught me every small detail about barbecue,” explained Kumar.
When we see a person is eating happy it motivates us.
He discovered seasoning, how to choose the right quality of meat and how to make the barbecue sauce. “I learned details like how to apply the barbecue sauce. I had the culinary background, but he taught me how to make it real,” said Kumar.
Kumar eventually landed in Lafayette after visiting a friend who was building a gas station. He liked the town and its potential for barbecue, so on the spur of the moment, Kumar moved. “People are very friendly here. They are happy eaters,” he said.
The store opened on August 1, 2020—just in time for the busiest hurricane season the Gulf Coast had experienced in 15 years.
Sweat the Technique
Cajuns are indeed passionate about food. “When a person enjoys the food rather than eating to just get full, it makes a difference,” Kumar said. “When we see a person is eating happy it motivates us.”
Kumar’s brisket and ribs are customer favorites. He credits their popularity with his slow process and attention to detail. “We use Ole Hickory Smokers and a blend of charcoal, apple and pecan wood to smoke the meat,” he said. “The brisket takes 15 hours, and we smoke the ribs around six hours and the chicken around five hours.”
Keeping food affordable is an important part of Kumar’s business strategy. “My main objective was to feed people at a reasonable cost. I want a person to enjoy a meal with drink and a side every day for less than $10. The object is for people to enjoy good food. They don’t have to think twice about reaching into their pocket,” he said.
Cajuns Love Indian Food
Kumar visited Indian restaurants in the area, but the food just didn’t taste like what he grew up with back home. So, he decided to cook some samples for customers to try. “It got so popular they started coming back each weekend. They love it!”
Shy Kumar (left) is co-owner and manager of Wellcome Johnston Shell in Lafayette, Louisiana. Kumar considers his employees family and wants them to feel like being at the store is more than a job. It’s about making connections with customers and reflecting positive energy, he says, and of course, serving up delicious Cajun barbecue and Indian food.
He draws parallels between the cultures: “Indian food, like Cajun food, has a lot of flavor; it’s spicy,” Kumar said. “It has a kick, but it brings the joy of eating and sometimes tears, too, tears of taste, but you continue eating it. That is Cajun and that is Indian, where eating is not necessity, it is a culture.”
The growing popularity of the new Indian food offer has all been customer driven. “They send their boss and friends. I started out about 30 meals and sold out. Next week made 50 and sold out in three hours, and last week I cooked for 60, sold out in two hours.”
Welcome Home
Growth is the future for the Wellcome brand. Since August, an additional store has opened in Lake Charles, and seven more are planned, with two under construction. Opening in November in the village of Maurice is a store that will have outdoor seating for 60 people. “We’ll have a patio on the side. I plan to build a pavilion because I have five acres. So if people want to have fundraisers or family gatherings they can enjoy that facility,” said Kumar.
He wants his customers to feel welcome, like friends, and his employees to feel like being at the store is more than a job. “If you treat employees like family they’re not employees, but they are family. All my guys are family. They feel like they own the place. They enjoy being here. If you’re happy at work, it’s not work.”
For Kumar, it’s not about the transactions, but about a personal connection with the people who walk through the door. “We provide the best customer service. We have a beautiful smile when you come in—we reflect the positive energy. It’s why we have the two ‘Ls’ in Wellcome, the extra ‘L’ is for love.”