PHL’s newest restaurant serves gumbo, po’boys, and bread pudding
Lafayette’s — selling shrimp étouffée, red beans and rice, shrimp and grits, po’boys, and chicken and waffles — replaces Vino Volo in the airport’s B/C Connector.
Toyin Alli started selling gumbo and bread pudding at a D.C. farmers market in 2010 while working full-time in Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General. Sixteen years later, she’s bringing those dishes to Philadelphia International Airport.
Alli and her husband, Reginald Johnson, opened Lafayette’s Creole Kitchen & Bar last week across from the food court in the B/C Connector, replacing Vino Volo wine bar.
The 44-seat, fast casual restaurant serves Southern and Creole cooking, including gumbo, shrimp étouffée, red beans and rice, shrimp and grits, po’boys, chicken and waffles, and Alli’s signature brown butter bourbon bread pudding. Breakfast options include a breakfast po’boy and shrimp and waffles. There’s also a full bar serving cocktails, beer, wine, and nonalcoholic drinks.
Lafayette’s is named for Lafayette, La., where Alli’s maternal family has roots. Her father’s family is Nigerian.
Alli, who earned a master’s degree in public administration from New York University, turned to cooking after asking her mother what she should sell at Eastern Market on Capitol Hill. Her mother suggested bread pudding and gumbo.
Customers responded. Alli eventually left Amtrak, expanded to more than 14 farmers markets and food trucks, and established Puddin’ at Washington’s Union Market in 2014. She later purchased two warehouses in Capitol Heights, Md., for food production.
The airport venture grew out of conversations during the pandemic about finding a more dependable customer base. Johnson, a retired Army Green Beret who served six tours in Afghanistan, suggested airports.
But entering the airport concessions business was more complicated — and considerably more expensive — than leasing a storefront.
The couple enrolled in the Philadelphia Airport Concessions Academy, which teaches small businesses about airport operations, financing, and the competitive proposal process.
Alli said the program began with roughly 40 to 50 participants, but only about nine remained for the final presentations. Soon afterward, when a concession opportunity became available, the couple submitted a proposal and won.
Alli oversees Lafayette’s operations and culinary direction, while Johnson handles finance, logistics, and business strategy.
The location combines a bar and indoor seating with tables open to the busy concourse, which Alli likens to Times Square.
For Alli, the opportunity also represents a vote of confidence in a small, independent operator. “They could have chosen a large company or one of the prime operators, but they chose a very small business and put their faith in us,” she said.
