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The Rachal Family |
~ The Real Story ~ Early 1985, while visiting his brother Odell, Manny Rachal felt there was a "need" for boiled crawfish in the Livingston area! A young man of 33 with a growing family of three little ones and another on the way, he certainly could use a "few more dollars". Weekdays he sold life insurance and on weekends headed to Livingston, setting up his tent and a butane burner rig. Manny's boiled crawfish soon became a local favorite of many Polk Countians. (His eldest son Jake, then 5, really did make the first trip with him, and it was so windy that pitching the tent was almost impossible. Manny later said of the fiasco, "If Jake hadn't been with me, I would have packed it up and gone home".) By November, that same year, locating 2 miles out on 190 West, he opened a one-room cafe in a 20 x 30 metal building with only 17 chairs, often using his desk as a table for "overflow". He soon added space for more kitchen and dining areas, expanding seating capacity to 50. The business became well known for the great Cajun cooking and friendly atmosphere. Continued growth soon prompted Manny and Nancy to bring the restaurant into Livingston. Plans were well underway, when Harlan Cochran, a friend and loyal patron, offered a deal on the lumber from the JW Cochran & Co. Feed Mill, built in the early 1920's, with the stipulation that Manny would handle the demolition and clean the site. The old lumber gave instant age and character to the Cajun style building you're now in, completed in February 1991. A year later, they added on the rear dining section, and a year after that, additional office and kitchen space. The Lord has continued to bless the Rachal family through the years. You may have been served by one of their five children (Ryan, Jake, Josh, Ross and Jessie) as they grew up working here. Manny and Nancy would like to personally thank all of you, our guests through the years, for the great friendships and loyal patronage. You are one of the main reasons Shrimp Boat Manny's has made its mark in East Texas for over 20 years. We praise Jesus that we will continue to grow, expand, and serve our community in the Louisiana Cajun way - with a warm heart and a friendly smile! |
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