LOXLEY, Ala. — When Hurricane Katrina forced Gay Mueller and her family to move from their Belle Chasse, Louisiana home and restaurant business in 2007, she was convinced she wouldn’t go back into the restaurant business.

That is, until she realized working for someone else and being stuck behind a desk for four years was not cutting it and she had to return to her first love…cooking.

Finding a building in October and completely remodeling from the inside out with the help of her husband Gary and daughter, Mueller was finally able to open Lil G’s Cajun Market in Loxley on March 29.

Located at 3800 South Hickory Street on Hwy. 59, Lil G’s, named after Gary’s grandmother, Lilly, and because all their first names begin with a “G”, specializes in authentic cajun food you can’t find anywhere else between here and New Orleans, and to add to the authenticity, there is even an eight foot fiberglass alligator to greet you outside.

“We found that gator at a sportsman’s show in Louisiana and loved it. It was stolen from our restaurant once and luckily we found it after a customer told us where it was. I guess those people liked it too, “ Mueller said laughing.

Growing up in cajun country and helping her dad, Guy Ranatza, with his restaurant, Bino’s, Mueller learned all the family recipes and gained a love for cooking and creating new dishes with him. “There were four kids in our family and we all started out as dishwashers in the restaurant and worked our way up. I loved the cooking part and my sister liked the administrative part. It worked out well for us.”

“Dad started out shucking oysters and then branched out into po-boys and then eventually started a restaurant. I got the bug while helping him and then began my own restaurant 10 years ago and was very successful until Katrina,” Mueller said.

Not being able to return to her Bogalusa, La. restaurant, Lil G’s, for two weeks after Katrina, and having to throw out lots of spoiled seafood and facing a $25,000 increase in insurance, Mueller decided it was time to make a move.

“We had been coming to Gulf Shores for years and loved the beach so we made the move here and found a house in Seminole. We have a boat and live on the river so we can be at the beach in 30 minutes by boat. We love being able to do that” Mueller said.

Open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Sunday and Monday, Mueller said the two days off allows them to have some family time and recharge their batteries.

“We used to work six days a week and we were exhausted. We decided to have two days when we opened this market so we could get some things done and not be so worn out. So far, it’s worked really well, Mueller said.

Just being open two weeks, Mueller said she already has regular customers and people are really responding well to their products. “It seems the de-boned stuffed chicken and boiled crawfish are a big hit. The sausage and shrimp are selling well too. We make all our own sausage and have varieties you can’t find anywhere else. We have crawfish on Friday and Saturday and sold out of eight sacks in no time. We were amazed.”

Specializing in ready to bake meals for families on the go, Mueller said she tries to make her products easy and affordable.

“With the economy the way it is, the average person can’t afford to go out to eat, let alone add the tip to the bill. But with our chicken, rice or cornbread dressings, seasoned meats, gumbos and soups, you can pop them in the oven and in an hour and fifteen minutes a family of three can have a meal for under $20,” Mueller said.

Before deciding to open the restaurant, Mueller made some dishes for different functions and friends to see how they went over. “I wanted to see how the food would be treated and people’s reactions to it before I took the restaurant plunge. Everybody loved it so I knew it would be received well.”

Eventually wanting to add to the menu and serve hot plate lunches, Mueller said they are available to cater any kind of party or event with a full menu of items available.

Mueller believes people appreciate the authenticity of her cajun cooking and said in her experience, she has found there is a difference between New Orleans cooks and other cooks. “New Orleans cooks only put a hint of cayenne pepper and spice in their food and it blends nicely with the foods natural flavor. Other cooks put a ton of cayenne pepper in their because they think that’s what they are supposed to do to have a cajun flavor. That’s not the case.”

For more information about Lil G’s, contact Mueller at (251) 964-2804.