Deano’s Owner Tim Metcalf Says He’s Seriously Considering a Run for Lafayette Mayor-President

LAFAYETTE, La. — Is Tim Metcalf, Lafayette restaurateur and owner of Deano’s and Prejean’s, going to jump into politics?

“We’re open to all options,” he told Moon Griffon on The Moon Griffon Show Friday morning.

Metcalf, who has become increasingly outspoken about infrastructure projects under current Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet, says he’s not ruling out a run for the job. Boulet is up for re-election next year.

How a Lafayette Restaurant Owner Became a Bertrand Drive Activist

But in recent months, Metcalf has become a community activist. Recent proposals for projects along Bertrand Drive, right in front of the flagship Deano’s location, left him feeling frustrated and wanting to see change.

“Getting older, you tend to think of the future and what kind of community you leave for your children and grandchildren,” Metcalf told KPEL News when asked why now. “That and having a failed road concept being forced on me.”

Why Metcalf Wants Smart Growth Instead of New Road Projects

Metcalf is no stranger to the impact of infrastructure on small businesses. Along with the Bertrand project, he’s been vocal about the construction along North University and the complaints that have come with it.

“I want to see the smart growth and maintenance of existing infrastructure,” Metcalf said.

He’s used his personal Facebook page to point out the problems he’s seeing along Bertrand, for example.

“We were promised that Bertrand wouldn’t move forward if people didn’t want it,” he said in a video posted to Facebook this week. “I was also promised that both of my entrances to parking lots wouldn’t be blocked at one time.”

Credit: Tim Metcalf/Facebook (With Permission)

The video itself shows the work along the center lane on Bertrand, where a giant utility line is running down the center lane, preventing cars in the right lanes from turning left into the Deano’s parking lot. As of this writing, LCG has not responded to Metcalf's comments on the work in the center lane.

But does that mean he’s going to run against the head of the administration authorizing this work?

“I’m seriously considering it,” Metcalf said.

From Bertrand Supporter to Vocal Critic

Metcalf was not always on the other side of this project. When the Bertrand Drive Revitalization Project was first pitched in late 2024, he told a local reporter he felt optimistic and expected his business and its neighbors to boom once it was finished.

That changed in early June. Business owners learned the project would bring a zoning overlay district to the corridor, with building design standards that Metcalf said would make all three of his Bertrand businesses non-compliant. Boulet said her administration pulled the overlay within 24 hours. She said the design requirements were triggered automatically under the Lafayette Development Code, and that she was unaware of them.

Metcalf withdrew his support anyway, met with other Bertrand business owners and started a Facebook page called Keep Lafayette Moving.

What the Boulet Administration Has Said About the Pushback

Boulet sat down with Metcalf and other business owners at Joey’s Restaurant on Monday, June 15, alongside Capital Improvements Director Martin Poirrier. She told them she would reevaluate the roadway design, though the project itself would not be scrapped.

In a written statement the next day, Boulet said the businesses were “the first stakeholders brought to the table” back in 2024 and that the project “has been designed with their individual needs in mind.”

She said the owners now “want a complete re-engineering and redesign of the project.” After the meeting, she described the dispute as “an exercise of community to hit a bump and work through it.”

Monique Blanco Boulet

At a later city council meeting, with owners urging a delay or cancellation, Boulet said her administration would not force the project through. “Is it a critical project? No,” she said. In August she told council members, “We are not moving on Bertrand.”

Metcalf’s view of where talks stand has not softened. He told The Current in late September that conversations with the administration are ongoing, but that “We’re kind of stuck in the sand.” He said the administration has not made concessions he considers a fair trade.

Why Construction Is Still Moving on Bertrand Drive

The road and streetscape portion that drew the most criticism, which included removing the center turn lane, is on hold until the administration and business owners reach a consensus. The underground utility phase is a separate piece of work, and it is going forward.

Center-lane closures between Johnston Street and North College Road began Monday, Sept. 28, and are expected to continue through March 30, 2027. Crews are using the center of the roadway to bore underground for communication lines. Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) says the closures will move in sections along the corridor rather than shutting the whole lane at once. Through traffic stays open in both directions, access to businesses and properties is maintained, and left turns are restricted only inside active work areas.

Boulet has said her team has held one-on-one meetings with Bertrand businesses and has worked to ensure access for their specific delivery trucks.

The Wider Pattern: University Avenue and Johnston Street

Bertrand is not the only corridor under fire. Complaints about the North University Avenue project include narrow lanes, a new median and limited business access. Boulet has said she can feel the tightness of the road and that it is not where it needs to be. In a June statement, she announced a reset in how LCG plans and designs urban roadways, including a move toward 11-foot lanes on new urban corridors.

Johnston Street is next on the administration’s list, and council members have already raised the University comparison. Boulet acknowledges the political risk. “We will get backlash,” she told The Current. “What we are doing is hard.”

Where Metcalf and the Administration Go From Here

Boulet was elected in November 2023 and is expected to face voters again next year. Metcalf’s remarks on Moon Griffon’s show put a possible challenge on the table, though he has not announced a campaign.

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