Blue Bayou Coffee Co. adds location in American Legion 240, offering new dinner service
Blue Bayou Coffee Co. & Grille has come a long way since making its debut on 8701 Gulf Beach Highway in August 2021. Now, owners have launched a sister location open at the American Legion Post 240 under the name Blue Bayou Portside Grille.
When the opportunity presented itself for the restaurant to expand into the American Legion down the road at 8666 Gulf Breeze Highway, co-owner of Blue Bayou Coffee Co. Karen Bull said they could now offer dinner services, which were not being offered at their daytime café.
There will also now be a weekly Sunday brunch offered at the American Legion with a variety of menu items new to Blue Bayou Coffee Co. brand, such as the blueberry cobbler pancakes for $6.95, surf & turf n' eggs for $16.95 and chorizo quiche and fresh fruit for $9.95.
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The Blue Bayou Portside Grille will be open for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday for brunch. Bull said she would eventually like to expand the Portside location into service six days a week.
During the slower winter months, the Blue Bayou Coffee Co. and Grille will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, with regular hours resuming in March.
Not only will Portside's dinner service cater to the family-like veteran community that gathers at the American Legion, but also to the public, which can enter using the side entrance of the building, Bull said.
American Legion Post Cmdr. Bo Waggoner said the Legion was looking to find the right small business to take over the kitchen, and felt that their neighbors at the Blue Bayou Coffee Co. were the right fit. Plus it helped that Bull’s husband, co-owner Robert Smith, was an Army veteran himself and would fit right in.
“Our whole mission is to help our veterans and our community,” Waggoner said.
Bull said the Portside menu started out with handhelds to serve for Wednesday's bar bingo night, such as cheeseburgers, cheesesteaks and chicken Parmesan subs all under the $10 mark. She said she was surprised to see how much interest there was for a source of high-quality bar food in the area.
“We discovered they are in high demand,” Bull said.
She said they then went on to develop Friday night specials for a nicer, sit-down meal, such as a prime rib for $22.95 or a grilled rib-eye for $19.95.
The new location provides the American Legion with the opportunity to host those looking to either relax and have a drink, or enjoy a nice meal with their families, Bull said.
"Some use it as a lounge area, others enjoy coming in having a family dinner without it being skyrocket prices," she said.
Bull said her staff that bounces back and forth between both locations has blended in with the pre-existing wait staff at the American Legion, and she can tell that the environment is like a big family.
Waggoner added that the transition for Blue Bayou entering into the community has been “seamless.”
“It’s outstanding, they’ve come in and adapted very well,” Waggoner said.
Bull said the menu and specials are still developing, and she is open to menu suggestions that suit the community.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Blue Bayou Coffee Co. opens American Legion 240 Pensacola sister site
