Gumbo, jambalaya, muffalettas and other Cajun treats are on the menu for a new takeout restaurant set to open on New Year’s Day in Veazie. The restaurant will offer food each Sunday through May before it starts serving its offerings out of a food truck.
Ca C’est Bon, operated by Stephen Cousineau, who came to Bangor from Louisiana, will offer up a selection of Cajun treats at the start of the year at 1492 State St. in Veazie, the same location as Korean Dad and Mi Causa, Korean and Peruvian restaurants that opened in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Cajun food is near and dear to Cousineau’s heart, as he’s cooked the cuisine for decades, though Ca C’est Bon will be his first professional culinary venture. It’ll be the first Cajun restaurant in the Bangor area.
“I’m excited to introduce Louisiana cuisine to the area,” Cousineau said. “Good gumbo is the thing I’m most excited about introducing people to here in Maine. A good gumbo has a way of taking you back to New Orleans, if you have ever visited there.”
In addition to gumbo, Cajun classics like jambalaya, shrimp etouffee, muffalettas and red beans and rice will be on the menu. Dessert offerings include bread pudding with bourbon sauce and pecan pralines.
Cousineau plans to open Ca C’est Bon on Sundays in Veazie from Jan. 1 until May, when he will unveil a food truck of the same name that will operate all spring, summer and fall on the Bangor Waterfront. He’ll retain the space in Veazie for food prep for the truck.
Changsu Kristopher Lee, owner of Korean Dad, said that while he didn’t initially intend to turn the space at 1492 State St. into a kind of small restaurant incubator, he’s thrilled with that development. Mi Causa operated throughout the summer and fall before taking a break for the winter, while Korean Dad still offers Korean cuisine for takeout on Saturdays.
“Since I can’t fully commit myself to the restaurant, this is a new and exciting way for a new startup restaurateur to start small,” Lee said. “That way, they don’t have to spend a lot of money in the beginning of their business opening.”
Lee said he hopes to find someone who wants to operate a part-time breakfast, smoothie or bakery business during the week in the mornings to round out the offerings in the Veazie kitchen.
