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GROVES — A new business in Groves is firing up the pot in preparation for crawfish and crabs.

Pops Boil ‘N Geaux is located at 3814 Main Ave., Suite A at the former site of Pizza Artista. The boil house is set to open very soon.

Even though crawfish season has begun, the cold weather is affecting the crustaceans and the owners want to wait until they have larger sizes available.

Owners Kim Pearson and Robert Hardy know the crawfish business. Hardy was once a crawfish farmer and Pearson was a nurse but, she said, her favorite food is crawfish.

“I can eat crawfish every day of the week,” Pearson said. 

Pearson and Hardy plan to offer fresh caught crawfish from their hometown of Welsh, Louisiana. 

The crawfish farmers in Welsh are some Hardy has known his whole life.

They will offer select grade crawfish.

They will also offer blue tip crabs straight from Grand Chenier, Louisiana — all of which is fresh caught.

The boil house is also looking to serve fresh caught shrimp as well. Pearson stressed they will not serve anything imported. 

“It has to be real and fresh or we won’t do it,” she said. Pops Boil ‘N Geaux is a boil only restaurant. The boil will also include potato and corn and dipping sauce, butter for the crabs and offer fountain drinks. Alcohol is BYOB.

“We hope to have live music at least one day of the weekend,” Pearson said, adding they know a lot of people in Louisiana with bands. 

The inside of the restaurant has a sectioned off room that can be used for birthday parties or for a lunch meeting. 

Pearson and Hardy also have a lot of help from Pearson’s dad, Ovide Stelly Jr. who will help man the boil.

The décor in the restaurant features crab and crawfish traps hanging from the ceiling as well as the skulls of two massive alligators that Pearson and Hardy themselves caught. One was 11 ½ feet and the other 12 feet long. The gator heads are mounted European style and sit on a shelf next to a vintage accordion. 

Follow Pops Boil ‘N Geaux on social media for their opening date. They can be reached at 409-548-0335.