Bill Crawford has a problem that most new restaurateurs would love to have: a little too much popularity right off the bat.
Since opening last month, he has experienced a rush of diners into Crawdaddy’s, his New Orleans-style restaurant near the corner of N. 3rd and Reily streets in Midtown Harrisburg.
And no one is more surprised than Crawford himself.
“If I had to do it all over again, I would have spent a month in a trail period, slowly building up,” he said. “I didn’t expect this.”
“This” would be packed tables on restaurant’s two floors, with people sometimes waiting for a chance to sample his crab cakes, creole-style shrimp, catfish po’ boys and chicken and shrimp gumbo.
The thing is—Crawford’s “new” restaurant has actually been years in the making.
The 57-year-old Uptown Harrisburg native founded Something Special Catering about 15 years ago, when he was still working the line at Hershey Foods. After retiring as a candy-maker, he built up his catering business, giving thousands of people a taste of his cooking.
These same people are now his first restaurant patrons.
“I had a large group of people to draw from,” he said.
Crawford didn’t initially set out to have a New Orleans-style menu, but, after calling his restaurant Crawdaddy’s (combining his last name with his proud status as a father), he decided to head completely in a southern direction.
“When people heard Crawdaddy’s, they immediately thought of Cajun food,” he said. “I’ve been to New Orleans may times and love the food. So I thought, “why not?”
Ironically, Crawford opened his restaurant because catering had become too hectic—all the setting up, delivery, tearing back down. A restaurant would be more stable, he thought. Meanwhile, he still would be able to run his catering business out of the restaurant when things were slow. But things definitely have not been slow.
On a recent Friday night, the downstairs dining room was packed, as was the more casual upstairs bistro.
Meanwhile, Crawford was having problems familiar to almost any new restaurant owner—new equipment, untested employees, a routine that hadn’t yet become routine and the reality that owning a restaurant is like putting on a huge party every night.
“It’s just a challenge now because everything is so new,” he said.
But he’s learning quickly. He’s made numerous adjustments to work out the kinks, and most of the interior construction is finally done.
At press time, he was supervising the finishing touches on the snug third floor, which he is making into a hookah lounge.
He also has set up a few tables outside for al fresco dining. From that vantage, diners can water the emerging neighborhood take shape, with projects like the 1500 Project rising in one direction and the new Susquehanna Art Museum about to begin construction in another.
“To me, one of the most exciting things is being in this area,” he said. “I love it in Midtown and I’m very optimistic where the area is heading.”
Crawdaddy’s, 306 Reily St., Harrisburg. 727-232-7374. Open Monday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 11a.m. to 10p.m.; Saturday, 5 to 10p.m.; closed on Sunday.
