Today we’d like to introduce you to Charon Austin.
Hi Charon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my business journey in 2019 with a simple desire to build something of my own that reflected my creativity, my culture, and my work ethic. At the time, I was juggling motherhood, school, and work, yet I had a strong feeling that I could create a brand that would grow far beyond a weekend hustle. I began cooking small orders, working pop-ups, and building a loyal customer base one plate at a time.
What kept me going was my ability to turn pain and pressure into purpose. Every setback pushed me to do more, learn more, and expand my vision. What began as a small seafood pop-up grew into USA Cajun Station, a signature brand that focuses on quality, flavor, and consistency. By the time year five came, we had generated hundreds of thousands in revenue, built a recognizable identity, and created our own lane in the seafood restaurant market.
Today, that vision is expanding again with our upcoming location at Banks Food Hall in Columbus, Georgia. This will be our first permanent home and the next level for our franchise model. It represents years of hard work, sacrifice, and resilience. My journey is a story of starting small, staying consistent, trusting my gifts, and allowing each season to prepare me for the next. And now, I am excited to bring USA Cajun Station to a larger audience with our official opening at Banks Food Hall on the Riverwalk in Columbus, Ga.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all. My journey has been full of challenges, but each one shaped who I am as a business owner and as a woman.
One of the biggest struggles was learning how to build a business while working full time, raising twins, and managing my own mental health. I had to teach myself how to stay consistent with ADHD, how to push through depression, and how to keep going even when life felt overwhelming. There were seasons when I was exhausted, seasons when sales dropped, and seasons when the support I expected never arrived.
I also had to learn the business side on my own. I made mistakes with pricing, planning, and scaling. I had to rebuild my brand identity, improve my processes, and teach myself how to navigate growth without burning out. Running a food brand with limited resources taught me how to stretch, innovate, and stay focused on quality when everything around me felt chaotic.
Another challenge was emotional. My father passed away in March 2024, and I did not realize how deeply that loss affected me. I pushed the grief down and kept working, but it eventually caught up with me and I had to close the business for a period. The kitchen had always been the place where I rebuilt myself, but during that season, I needed to step back and fully process everything I had been holding in. It was one of the hardest pauses I ever had to take, but it was necessary. When I came back, I returned with more clarity, more purpose, and a stronger understanding of why this business means so much to me.
Despite all of this, every struggle made me stronger. Each obstacle taught me how to lead, how to plan, how to trust my own vision, and how to keep moving forward even when it was hard. The road has not been smooth, but it has been worth every step because it prepared me for the opportunity at Banks Food Hall and for the larger franchise vision that is now unfolding.
As you know, we’re big fans of USA Cajun Station Enterprises. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
USA Cajun Station is a seafood brand that delivers bold flavors, consistent quality, and a memorable experience with every plate. We specialize in seafood boil buckets, Cajun-inspired dishes, and flavorful Southern comfort foods that are prepared with care and attention to detail. Our customers know us for our generous portions, fresh ingredients, signature butter blends, and our commitment to giving people food that feels like an experience rather than a meal.
What sets us apart is our focus on authenticity and consistency. Every bucket is prepared with the same level of quality, whether we are serving ten customers or one hundred. People trust our brand because they know exactly what they are getting every time. We also take pride in the way we present our food. Our packaging, colors, flavor combinations, and Cajun identity create a full brand moment that customers instantly recognize.
I am most proud of how strong the brand has become. USA Cajun Station started with a single idea in 2019 and has grown into a recognizable business that generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue, built a loyal following across multiple cities, and is now preparing for its first permanent home in Banks Food Hall in Columbus, Georgia. That is a major milestone for a Black woman-owned brand that started from scratch with no investors or outside support.
What I want readers to know is that USA Cajun Station is built on heart, resilience, and real connection with the community. Every bucket we serve is made fresh. Every flavor is intentional. Every detail is part of a bigger vision to build a franchise that represents quality, culture, and the spirit of elevation. Our offerings include seafood boils, loaded potatoes, Cajun rice, Alfredo dishes, seasonal specials, catering, and pop-ups in select cities while we prepare for our 2026 opening.
USA Cajun Station is more than a food business. It is a movement, a story of rebuilding, and a brand that shows what is possible when faith, flavor, and hard work come together. I want customers to experience that every time they order from us.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I have learned is the power of systems and consistency. When I first started, I was doing everything by myself and reacting to whatever came my way. As the business grew, I realized that success is not built on talent alone. It is built on structure. I had to learn how to create systems for ordering, packaging, customer service, scheduling, menu planning, marketing, and financial tracking. Those systems helped me stay organized, save time, and deliver a consistent product no matter how busy things became.
Consistency changed everything. Once I learned how to repeat the same level of quality every single time, my customers trusted my brand even more. Systems allowed me to grow, but consistency allowed me to maintain my brand in a way that feels professional, reliable, and ready for expansion.
This lesson has shaped how I run USA Cajun Station today and how I am preparing for Banks Food Hall. It taught me that you cannot scale a dream without structure, and you cannot build a strong brand without being consistent.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.usacajunstation.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usacajunstation/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usacajunstation1/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charonaustin
- Other: https://www.chefchacha777.net
