Lloyd Dennis, president of Gulf South Restaurant Equipment and Supply has seen a lot of restaurants and tasted a lot of food from many chefs, both professional and domestic.

Dennis and his partner, Ronnie Webster are doing so well in the business of supplying restaurants and chefs, they had to move out of their Old Spanish Trail location and recently opened up their larger base of operations on West Gause Boulevard.

“St. Tammany Parish has been very good to us,” Dennis said.

Gulf South Restaurant Equipment and Supply President Lloyd Dennis, left, and Vice President Ronnie Webster, right, celebrate the grand opening their new location on West Gause Boulevard with Slidell Mayor Freddy Drennan, center. (Submitted Photo)

As the business name implies, Dennis and Webster supply restaurants with all sorts of equipment from stoves down to cutlery. Dennis is also an engineer and designer. He offers a unique service of designing restaurants for clients that includes both the kitchen and the dining area.

“We’re the only ones on the Northshore that do this,” Dennis said.

But they also have a large and popular retail business for what Dennis likes to call the “domestic chefs,” those who want to create great dishes in their homes.

Dennis started out his business on the Southshore in Harahan. After Hurricane Katrina, he expanded to Slidell on Old Spanish Trail. But after three years there, Dennis and Webster knew the needed a bigger building.

With the bigger digs, came bigger plans and ambitions. Dennis wants to turn one of the large rooms in the back into a television studio and get celebrity chefs to come in and record cooking shows. He is also preparing another room where instructors can teach food safety courses, which are required by the state if one wants to work in the food industry.

The company provides services for restaurants and amateur chefs here in St. Tammany as well as in Washington, Tangipahoa and Orleans parishes. Dennis said they also have clients in Gulfport.

Besides cooking equipment, Gulf South has started selling janitorial and paper supplies for restaurants.

“It’s sort of a one-stop shopping place for restaurants,” Dennis said.

Webster said the business also prides itself on its service.

“Our objective is to make friends,” said Webster. “We are very hands-on and we deliver things personally.”

So if you are thinking of opening a restaurant or just an at-home gourmet looking for that special piece of kitchen equipment, visit Gulf South Restaurant Equipment and Supply at 380 Gause Blvd. West, or call them at 726-5011.