Alabama restaurant owners turn Hurricane Katrina tragedy into triumph

For thousands of people living in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast, life changed forever 10 years ago when Hurricane Katrina swept ashore, flooding homes and businesses and washing away nearly everything in its path.

Chris and Laura Zapalowski, chefs and owners of Homewood Gourmet, were among the hordes of people who evacuated New Orleans on Aug. 28, 2005 before Katrina made landfall. They returned weeks later to sift through the few belongings that escaped the damaging floodwaters.

Shelter from the storm
When the mandatory evacuation was issued, Chris, along with his then-fiancé, Laura, left the city to ride out the storm with his family in Baton Rouge.

“In the past, we would evacuate and then come right back in two days, so we only brought two days’ worth of clothes,” said Chris, who was raised in New Orleans. “We had 15 people and three dogs in a three-bedroom condo. I slept on an air mattress that deflated every night. But we had power and games, and didn’t have to go to work. It was like a party.”

Laura said so many people were buying food at the local Wal-Mart that the shelves had to be replenished every day.

“Chris always jokes that it was a great time of life for him because it was so laid back,” she said. “He could enjoy being with his family, and there was no stress. It was harder for me because I’m a planner.”

The couple soon traveled to Birmingham, Laura’s hometown, to stay with her parents.

When New Orleans citizens were allowed to re-enter the city about six weeks after the storm, Chris found that his home near one of the levees had been flooded with about 8 feet of water, causing him to lose everything. But certain small items almost seemed untouched, such as Chris’ watch, which was still ticking even though it had been underwater for days.

Meanwhile, although water only rose as high as the wooden floor of Laura’s home on a ridge above St. John’s Bayou, it was uninhabitable because of mold that covered her furniture and other belongings.

A new start
Chris and Laura returned to Birmingham and in less than a month were offered jobs at Hot and Hot Fish Club. It was a natural move for the couple, who were working at Emeril Lagasse’s signature restaurant in New Orleans when the hurricane interrupted their lives.

At Hot and Hot, Chris began as a line cook and later rose to become chef de cuisine and restaurant manager. Laura moved through several roles. Along with working as a cook, hostess and wait staff assistant, she helped develop and test recipes for a Hot and Hot cookbook.

In the spring of 2006, the couple married, which they said was a welcome celebration in the midst of the upheaval caused by the storm.

“A lot of Chris’ family had been displaced and were staying with friends,” Laura said. “The wedding was a fun party for them and gave them a break from all the stress.”

A leap of faith
After more than four years at Hot and Hot, Chris and Laura said they were ready for the next step.

“We used to drive past Homewood Gourmet every day on our way to work and think ‘I’d like to own a place like that – something small, casual and fun,’” Chris said. “One day, we decided to ask Franklin Biggs (the previous owner) if he would like to sell it. He said ‘Yes’ that day.”

In 2010, the Zapalowskis took over Homewood Gourmet, which was a fixture in the heart of the community.

As owners, Chris said they “wear many hats.” Although they sometimes step in to help prepare dishes or serve customers, their main job is managing day-to-day operations such as promoting the business and dealing with paperwork. Chris conducts in-home cooking demonstrations for parties and facilitates corporate teambuilding cooking events.

“We didn’t make many changes at first,” said Chris. “We wanted to get to know the customers and to make sure the customers got to know us.”

Over the years, the Zapalowskis have put their mark on the café. Chris has added many New Orleans favorites to the menu, including red beans and rice, muffulettas, shrimp and fish po’boys and his specialty, gumbo.

Laura, who has a degree from Samford University in nutrition and dietetics, has focused on creating healthy dishes made from locally grown products. The couple have also added take-home meals to the menu and expanded the catering side of the business.

“You find your strengths and use them,” Chris said. “We cook good simple food and keep it from being pretentious.”

Restaurant roots
A graduate of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Chris discovered his talent for preparing succulent dishes while cooking for friends and working at restaurants during college.

After graduating from Samford, Laura went on to attend the Institute of Culinary Education in New York in 2000, where she got the opportunity to work at the Food Network as a “prep” cook for TV chefs.

The couple said working at Emeril’s was their “big break” in the restaurant business.

“Emeril would fly in food from all over the world,” Laura said. “You got to cook with ingredients you never would have gotten to work with anywhere else.”

Although Katrina caused their life to take a 180-degree turn, Laura and Chris have no regrets. They keep busy managing the business and caring for their children, Ellis, 6, and Liza, 2.

“Katrina taught us what’s important in life, and stuff is not important,” said Laura. “We had our family, and that’s what mattered.”

Chris added, “We are glad to be in Birmingham. We have two beautiful kids. I have a great life and a great wife. I think it all happens for a reason.”