ST. LANDRY PARISH — Challenging days lie ahead for the Doucet family as they cope with the loss of Jermaine Doucet, the beloved owner of Fat Belly’s Diner. Jermaine, along with his girlfriend and her nine-year-old daughter, died after a fire tore through the restaurant early Saturday morning.
On Monday morning, family and friends gathered outside Fat Belly’s, joining in prayer, tears, and remembrance. Balloons were left at the restaurant’s front door—a symbol of love for a man who was the heart of Opelousas.
Jermaine’s daughter, Kierra, said," Just hearing people speak about our dad in the past tense, it’s heartbreaking to me… and just having images in my head about what he went through that morning, how he and the girls were trying to fight for their lives.”
Jermaine's parents, children and siblings all gathered to remember him.
Another daughter, Deja Baker, recalled her father’s gift for bringing light wherever he went.
“It’s heartbreaking. He was the heart of Opelousas. This was the best place to get food in town. Whether he was filling people’s bellies with food or with laughter, either way you were getting fed with something. He made you feel like family coming through the door.”
To the Opelousas community, Jermaine Doucet was so much more than a cook. He was the comedian, the jokester—the man who made people laugh while serving up good food.
“He really took on the persona of his restaurant—always cheesed up, ready to crack a joke on anyone who came through the door,” Deja said.
Despite the pain, Kierra says she is trying to stay strong so she can keep her father’s legacy alive—a legacy built on love, laughter, and great Louisiana food.
“If anyone knew Trigga, Fat Belly, Jermaine—however you wanted to call him—he was always the person who said, ‘I don’t believe anyone should be sad around me.’ He wanted everybody to be happy,” Deja said.
“It just feels like a nightmare that we haven’t woken up from… and it’s heartbreaking,” she added.
His girlfriend, Raquel Harris, who also died in the fire, operated her own eyebrow business in Opelousas.
“He loved Raquel and she was his soulmate,” said Melissa Doucet.
As Opelousas continues to mourn, the outpouring of support for the Doucet family is a testament to the lasting joy Jermaine brought to those around him.
“I just want to say I love him,” Kierra shared simply, capturing the sentiment felt across the city.
Investigators are still looking into what caused the fire. Jermaine recently celebrated his 48 birthday just days ago.
If you would like to help the family or learn more about their GoFundMe campaign, you can click here .
