Crazy Cajun Restaurant Goes Up in Flames

By Nate Morabito
Reporter / WJHL
Published: September 2, 2008

Exactly 13 years, nine months, and one day after opening the Crazy Cajun restaurant, Ed Michel lost everything. Aside from a truckload of cooking supplies, hardly anything survived a fire at his business early Tuesday morning. Michel moved to the Tri-Cities from Louisiana nearly two decades ago. Eventually, he opened up his Cajun restaurant along the Kingsport Highway.

“I got tired of feeding everybody for free out there on Boone bayou out there,“ Michel said. “I call it Boone bayou. I don’t call it Boone Lake. It’s not big enough to be a lake. Those are bayous where I come from.“

Despite his jovial attitude, this is a sad day from Michel. Crews from three fire department’s responded to the Crazy Cajun around 5:30 am, but by then, the fire had already destroyed the Washington County, Tennessee, landmark. Monday, the popular restaurant was closed for Labor Day. Tuesday, it was closed for good.

Over the years, this restaurant’s off-the-wall atmosphere, diverse menu, and self-titled crazy owner became Tri-Cities’ favorites.

“You take your own alcohol in, it’s always been a great place to eat, the Jambalaya, Crawfish Etouffee,“ customer Johnny Mullins said.

With such a legacy, it’s no surprise, Scott Eads, one of the restaurant’s first customers, stopped by to snap a picture today.

“It hurts,“ Eads said. “Hopefully, all of his friends can come together and get him up and running again, because we need a place like this.“

When you ate at the Crazy Cajun, it was tradition to sign the wall or the ceiling before you left, whether you were just a normal customer or a NASCAR superstar.

“Sterling Marlin’s been in here many times, Kyle Petty, Kasey Kahne,“ Michel said.

All of that is now history, front page news in a town where the Crazy Cajun was an institution.

“I think when I slow down later this evening, sitting out at the lake, it will probably hit me,“ Michel said. “I’ll be sitting out there thinking, ‘okay, it’s time to go to the restaurant. There is no restaurant to go to.‘“

At least for now. Michel hopes to reopen the Crazy Cajun at some point, just at a different location.

As for the investigation into the fire, the Johnson City Fire Marshal’s Office and Washington County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation is ongoing. At first glance, investigators say the fire does not appear to be suspicious.