By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA
Kenny Cotten always wanted to own his own business—even when he managed the Paramount Theater in downtown Lake Charles. When the theater closed, Cotten moved on to work at the Colonial Inn, unaware of the hamburger legacy that awaited him.
In the late seventies, the Colonial Inn was very well known for its hamburgers and onion rings.
“A lot of people are too young to remember it,” said Cotten. “It was on Broad St.”
Cotten worked there for two years before he struck out on his own to start Cotten’s Hamburgers. According to Cotten, his business maintains the Colonial Inn tradition with its specific, limited menu and quality product.
Cotten’s Hamburgers was originally on Ryan Street across from McNeese University where the Smoothie King is located now. Many people remember the commercial starring Cotten’s daughter—“If Poppa is king of the grill I think that makes me the princess.”
After eighteen months, Cotten relocated to 2001 Oak Park Blvd because he believed Oak Park was a good area to open a restaurant. The theater and the medical complex provided a steady influx of customers.
“Originally I was trying to get the landlord of the nearby shopping center to try and add on and rent me a spot,” said Cotten. “They weren’t interested, and this place was a going restaurant so when they closed, I bought it.”
According to Cotten the location proved to bring as many customers as he’d anticipated. People still come over from the hospital, and the hospital offices benefit from the convenience of Cotten’s take-out and drive-thru.
“We also see a lot of blue collar workers if they happen to be working around the area,” said Cotten.
While Kenny Cotton still enjoys owning his own business, there are ups and downs. “You are your own boss and that is a good thing, but there are a lot of things people don’t realize,” said Cotten. For one, ‘the hours are difficult.’
Cotton’s Hamburgers was originally open seven days a week, twelve hours a day. Even though they have cut back over the years, Cotten says that he still works too many hours.
“We close at 3:30 in the afternoon, but I was here until ten o’clock last night trying to fix a couple of things that had broken,” said Cotten. “When you own a business you’re always trying to get caught up and ready for the next day.”
Cotten emphasizes that the restaurant business is a tough business. A typical day for Kenny Cotten begins at 7:45 in the morning when he arrives to prepare for customers.
“I have to slice one hundred pounds of onions and one to two cases of tomatoes,” he said.
Cotten’s also cuts and grinds their own meat, and peels their own shrimp.
“Just about everything we do here is fresh,” said Cotten. “We don’t just open a bag and cook it. It all takes time to prepare so I do that six days a week.”
“We cry every day for our customers,” said Cotten, leaning over the machine to slice onions. “You never get used to it, you just endure the burn.”
For anyone who wants to own his own business, Cotten recommends being prepared to work and being dedicated because the buck stops with you.
“When that person calls in sick and you’ve already worked ten or twelve hours and you have another shift to go, are you going to just say you can’t go in and let the service or the food suffer because of it?” asks Cotten. “Or are you going to go fill the position? It is going to happen and happen often.”
Cotten points out, “A lot of people either love it or hate it. Or once they do it, they never want to do it again.”
Of course, Kenny Cotten is quick to add, “If I had it to do all over again I would still want to have my own business, but whether I would have chosen this one or not is debatable.”
The effects of Hurricane Rita linger on in area businesses. Cotten shares that it has been difficult to keep good help since the storm struck in 2005.
“I don’t know why that is,” said Cotten. “Almost everybody in business says the same thing. Every restaurant says they need help—but it’s not just restaurants.”
Cotten doubts many people left the lake area permanently, and with the new people who moved in from New Orleans it remains a mystery that continues to plague local businesses.
“Sure people could go and get better jobs somewhere else,” he says. He continues to try to make sense of the problem because every restaurant has the same problem. “There’s more work than workers.”
When Cotten’s Hamburgers remained open at night they employed fifteen to twenty workers. Presently they have nine or ten including members of his family.
“My wife works here, and my son works on Saturdays because he’s in school,” said Cotten. “My oldest daughter worked here a long time until she graduated from McNeese.”
According to Cotten, as the economy slows, things will change, but as it slows, the less help businesses will need.
Over the years the menu has changed very little. The current offerings take up all Cotten’s time.
“I think we could probably increase business with more menu items but until the employee situation changes I have more than I can keep up with now. And we stay busy.”
According to Cotten, his customers keep asking him when he’s going to build in South Lake Charles. Even though he owns property in that area, everything depends on the help.
“I can’t open another location until I know I have the people to work it,” said Cotten. “The help is the key.”
When the mood for a hamburger and onion rings causes a rumble in the stomach, pop over to Cotten’s Famous Hamburgers. Walk through the door, wave at old friends, place your order with a smiling, joking employee, and listen to the beautiful voice of Florence as she clears the tables.
Lunch time doesn’t get much better than this.
For additional information, call Cotten’s Famous Hamburgers at (337) 477-9759, or stop by 2001 Oak Park Blvd. Restaurant hours are 10:30-3:30 Monday through Friday and 10:00 to 3:00 on Saturday.
