LAFAYETTE PARISH — Mark Aubrey Cole, owner of Don’s Specialty Meats in Scott, has spent more than three decades building a business rooted in tradition, community, and a well-known Acadiana staple.
“I started in 1993, had a small location there. Business grew and grew. Thirty-three years later, we still selling the best homemade boudin and cracklins here in Acadiana,” Cole said.
That growth is still visible today, from the kitchen to the counter, where customers continue to line up for the products that helped establish the shop’s reputation.
“I just love dealing with people, and I just love the customers and their reactions to trying our product and enjoying it and coming back again and saying how happy they were,” Cole said.
Cole said his connection to the craft began years before opening his business, learning the process and traditions that define boudin-making in South Louisiana.
“You know I’ve been to a number of boucheries, you know when I was younger, I learned a little bit from my grandfather too,” Cole said.
In Scott, often referred to as the “Boudin Capital of the World,” that tradition remains a central part of the community’s identity.
“That's why we called the Boudin Capital of the World. We sell about 6-and-a-half million pounds of boudin in this Scott area,” Cole said-
In addition to running his business, Cole serves as vice president of the Scott Boudin Festival, an event that has grown significantly over the years.
“Started off a little small, and now we take up a couple of city blocks at City Hall right there,” Cole said.
For Cole, the festival also carries decades of personal memories tied to the culture surrounding the food.
“When I was in high school we used to attend the Boudin Festival in Broussard. That was back in '78, '79 and '80, and we always had a great time at it. We used to go to the boucherie in St.Martinville,” he said.
Despite the growth of both his business and the festival, Cole said some things have remained the same.
“The regular boudin was always my favorite,” Cole said.
He said it is not just the food that keeps him going, but the people and the sense of community that come with it.
“I just interact with the customers and the people because I just love it,” Cole said.
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