Discover Lafayette Hollie Girouard – Ton’s Drive-In and Ton’s Downtown
Hollie Girouard, proprietor of Ton’s Drive-In and Ton’s Downtown joins Discover Lafayette in partnership with Eat Lafayette to discuss her family’s multigenerational success in the restaurant business.
While Hollie is known for her dedication to Ton’s, she is also well-known for her athletic prowess, having been a volleyball player for teams at ESA and UL – Lafayette, the latter of which she graduated from with a degree in Graphic Design. She is a third-generation proprietor of Ton’s, following in the footsteps of her hardworking grandparents and parents. Hollie knows the restaurant business inside and out, having grown up in it and working from a young age, as soon as her grandmother gave her permission to clean tables and help out doing whatever was needed.
Ton’s in Broussard is beloved for its classic American and Cajun comfort food, including fried chicken, hamburgers, and regional favorites. Hollie’s grandparents, Rosemary and Alton Girouard, originally opened Ton’s in May of 1963. At that time, Rosemary left her job at a downtown Lafayette dress shop to run the restaurant full time. Alton stayed on working for the Lafayette Hardware Store (located then at the corner of Vermilion and Buchanan in downtown Lafayette) during the day, joining Rosemary in the evenings at the restaurant. Their children, Karl and Yvette Girouard, also worked at Ton’s, and when Karl married Hollie’s mom, Juanita, in 1973, she became an integral part of the family business.
As Ton’s attracted more business in the decade after its founding, the restaurant expanded in 1973 to a new location across the street in Broussard in what had originally been Bonin’s Bar. Hollie shared that when her grandparents were remodeling the space to accommodate their new restaruant, they paid for the demolition work by giving the beautiful oak bar in Bonin’s to the contractor as a payment for services. “The original oak bar is somewhere in New Orleans,” says Hollie. The new Ton’s restaurant was equipped with a drive-thru window, the first in Lafayette Parish, and also offered indoor dining and outdoor seating.
Ton’s has maintained many of its original menu items offered from its first day of operation. The chili, seasoning blend, and hamburgers which attracted avid fans still taste the same to someone visiting after forty years away. Hollie says the original pizza pans are now used as pot lids. And many of the employees’ families have worked at Ton’s over the years; Danielle, the general manager and head cook at the Broussard location, is a third generation employee as her grandmother, Edna, worked with Hollie’s grandmother in the early days. Regina, Danielle’s mother, worked with Hollie’s mother, Juanita, in Ton’s second generation of operations.
Eat Lafayette honored Ton’s Drive-In as it celebrated its 60th anniversary of successful business operations. Pictured are Hollie Girouard along with her parents, Karl and Juanita Girouard. Hollie calls herself “a glorified errand girl, running back and forth between the restaurants. I take my cues from the general managers!”
Both restaurants source their food as local as possible, and Hollie says, “The crawfish are always being within 10 miles of the restaurant. We grow things in the garden.” The top seller is the burger and plate lunches at the Broussard location have the same rotation each week as people expect the continuity. So on Tuesday, you can expect to see calf liver and onions as a plate lunch option, with the usual classic comfort foods offered each day.
Catering is offered and Ton’s provides food for sports tournaments, as well individuals looking for great comfort food. “Miss Laura,” who has worked at Ton’s since before Hollie was born, works the grill and stuffs all the baked, deboned turkeys, pork roasts and brisket for special occasions
After 60 years of successful operations, Ton’s recently opened a second location in downtown Lafayette at 500 Jefferson Street, Suite C, known as Ton’s Downtown. Hollie said, “It was a special time for us opening our second location in downtown Lafayette because it was the 60th anniversary of our grandparents opening Ton’s while working in downtown Lafayette!” Ton’s Downtown has an evolving menu, a bit different from Broussard at this point in time, offering fresh pressed juices every day and Straw Cove bagels and yogurts.
“We try to serve food as close as we can to how our grandparents would. When they first opened, they would have a calf butchered every week, with some going to burgers and some to smothered plate lunches. We want to serve people as if they were our own family members. We would never sell an item we wouldn’t give to our grandmother or our child. We are mindful of how we source our foods.”
Hollie loves being in downtown Lafayette as she is friends with many other owners of the restaurants surrounding Ton’s. They share resources with each other as needed. “Whatever success we have is only made better by other restauranteurs’ success. We love supporting each other. It’s a special thing to be a part of.”
Ton’s Downtown has a full bar, which makes sense given its hours of operation extend from 5 to 12 PM Thursday through Saturday. Interestingly, at this year’s Festival International, the frozen coffee was the surprising #1 seller. “People would spike it with Tito’s or Kahlúa.
When asked about the incredible longevity of many employees’ tenure with the restaurant, Hollie stated, “Restaurants are typically high turnover endeavors. We want to ask what our employees would be comfortable doing. When interviewing someone, I ask our current employees if they know the person. Would you feel comfortable working with them? I want my employees to feel work is a safe space. And we don’t micromanage.” And Hollie will do any task needed, including custodial work. “On any given day, I am the custodian. I would never ask my employees to do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Ton’s food is consistent at both locations. “Someone can go away for 40 years and come back and taste the same burger. You see the joy and happiness in their face, with nostalgic memories. It tastes the same! Old Corelle dishes are used to serve food, pictures of her grandparents are on the walls. Nostalgia is built into your dining experience.A part of the experience is thinking of your childhood and family. The food we are feeding you is something we do care about. We want you to tast that and experience that,” Hollie says.
While Hollie loves the restaurant business, she also enjoys the artistic side of life. In her spare time, which is limited, she throws pottery and makes wedding dresses and functional wear.
According to Ton’s Facebook page, “Alton “Ton” was a scout in WW2, sneaking around France, clearing a safe way for troops. Toward the end of the war he had the pleasure of being General Patton’s private driver. We can’t imagine what that time was like and the true courage he and his fellow servicemen and women had to muster at such young ages.” A true American hero!
Ton’s Downtown is open Monday – Wednesday, 7AM – 2PM. Thursday – Saturday, 7AM – 2PM & 5PM – 12 AM. Sunday, 8AM – 3PM. Visit https://tonsdowntown.com/ for more information.
Ton’s Drive-In at 101 W. Main Street in Broussard is open Monday – Friday, 6 AM to 2 PM, and Saturday 7 AM to 2 PM. For more information, visit https://www.tonsdrivein.com/
Thank you for a fun interview Hollie, and best wishes on another sixty years of success!