Lafayette’s Historic Gator Cove Hits Market Again

Lafayette, LA (KPEL News) - For four decades, Lafayette locals and visitors to the city knew that Gator Cove restaurant was one of the best places to enjoy crawfish and good Cajun food. The iconic venue could be seen as you drove from Lafayette through south Louisiana on Hwy 90. Original owners AuBrey and Bonnie Henderson moved their BBQ business to the Evangeline Thruway/Hwy 90 location in 1982, and eventually sold the historic business to Jay and Peggy Voorhies. When the Voorhies family decided to step away, they sold the property to Wildcat Brothers Distilling in 2020.

The plan, according to an article published by Developing Lafayette in March of 2020, was to utilize the property as their distillery location and to include a culinary option.

Tait Martin, President & Purveyor of Fine Rums & Spirits Wildcat Brothers, LLC told DL:

As we develop Gator Cove into a “Place” rather than simply a restaurant, we will be providing locals and tourists alike with a state of the art cooking school in what was the old AB Henderson BBQ restaurant.

Fast forward to 2024, and the Gator Cove property has hit the real estate market again.

According to the listing agents with Keaty Real Estate in Lafayette, Wildcat Brothers will maintain the distillery in the front and featuring tasting in the back. Additionally, they will stay on as tenants at a cost of $7500 per month, an attractive bonus for potential buyers and investors.

Listing agents Jason Ray and Brad Gaubert note that the property includes more than two acres of land and a cumulative square footage from all of the buildings of 10,600.

The property features a functioning event center with an inviting outdoor courtyard, perfect for hosting memorable
gatherings. Imagine the possibilities of transforming the separate building onsite into a restaurant, bar, boil house, or all three, creating a vibrant Cajun cultural mecca.

The Gator Cove property is a stop on the Cajun bus food tour, and an RV park is planned behind the acreage. The property is listed at $1.5-million.