In a parish where food is more than a meal and more of a shared language, Beau Debetaz is building something that feels both familiar and entirely new. As Catering Manager at Geisha and owner of Chef Beaux 2 Geaux, his name has quietly been circulating through conversations, recommendations, and events. Now, with a physical space on the horizon, that presence is about to become something the community can walk into, taste, and experience firsthand.
“I’ve been in the area a long time,” Beau said. “Walker, Watson, Denham, Central. I kind of consider this my area.” His roots in Livingston Parish run deeper than just business. From coaching local sports to organizing youth football leagues that once brought families all the way to Saints facilities, Beau has spent years building relationships here long before building menus.
His story in the kitchen started early. “I actually started washing dishes when I was 13 in my dad’s restaurant,” he said. His father, Larry Debetaz, was well known in the regional food scene, running multiple restaurants and producing Cajun staples like étouffée and gumbo for grocery distribution before that became common. “I grew up in it,” Beau shared. “I have his recipes, and then I have about six or seven of my own.”
That foundation turned into a career shaped by both success and setback. Beau previously owned a Denham Springs restaurant before a serious car accident in 2018 forced him to step away. “I was laid up for a few months and ended up having to close,” he said. “Then when I got better, COVID closed all the restaurants.” Instead of stepping away from the industry, he adapted. Food trucks, consulting, and helping other restaurants reinvent themselves became the next chapter.
That path eventually led him to Geisha, where he stepped into a role focused on expanding catering. “They told me it was a great place, that the owner really cared about his people, and that’s hard to find,” Beau said. “It was just a great match.” From there, the idea for Chef Beau 2 Geaux began to take shape alongside his work with Geisha, allowing him to offer a broader range of food beyond sushi while still maintaining a premium experience.
“There’s not really anywhere that specializes in both a wide range of food and premium sushi,” he explained. “So, it seemed like a really good match.”
Now, that vision is turning into a physical space, designed less like a traditional restaurant and more like a hub for catering and connection. The upcoming location will serve as an expansion of Geisha’s catering capabilities while also giving Beau a home base for his own brand.
“The idea is to expand catering,” he said. “Bigger kitchen, more space, more ability to serve events.” The front of the space will offer a simple to go concept, while the back operates as a full catering kitchen. But even in that simplicity, Beau is bringing something unique to the table.
At the heart of the daily menu will be Cajun crafted pizzas, a concept that blends local flavor with a format people already love. “At my last restaurant, pizzas were one thing I did very well,” he said. “Seafood boil pizza, boudin pizza, shrimp Diablo, crawfish. Those were very popular.” The goal is to create something approachable but still rooted in the bold flavors of South Louisiana.
Alongside that, Beau’s signature sauces will carry through everything he does. “I make about a handful of sauces, and we put them on everything,” he said. “Pizza, pasta, potatoes. We’re going to keep it simple, but it’ll be unique.”
The space itself will reflect that same mindset. Limited seating, a strong to go focus, and a layout designed to showcase catering setups for potential clients. “We’re going to stage it for catering,” Beau explained. “People can come in, see how it looks, try samples, meet us, and really understand what they’re getting.” From weddings to private events, the goal is to make the process seamless. “A one stop shop,” he called it.
That approach is already gaining traction, with Chef Beau and Geisha becoming the exclusive caterers for Serenity Event Center. With packages designed to be both elevated and accessible, Beau is focused on delivering value without sacrificing quality. “We’re giving people more options,” he said. “Good food, good experience, and something that fits their budget.”
Behind the business, Beau’s story is just as much about resilience as it is about food. A father of four with grown children, he now finds himself in a season where he can fully invest in his craft. “They’re all out of the house now,” he said. “So, it leaves me with time to focus on this.”
That time is being poured into refining not just what he serves, but how he serves it. After years of long hours and hard lessons, Beau is approaching this next chapter with intention. “I tried to do too much before,” he admitted. “Worked 20 hours a day and almost killed myself doing it. Now I’m focused on making things more efficient.”
Even with decades in the industry, there’s still a clear sense of passion behind everything he does. Whether it’s perfecting a sauce, sourcing quality ingredients, or simply making sure a client feels taken care of, that attention to detail shows.
“I insist on using good product,” Beau said. “You have to. You can’t just do things halfway.”
As Livingston Parish continues to grow, so does its appetite for something different. Something local, personal, and rooted in real experience. With Chef Beau 2 Geaux and the expansion of Geisha’s catering, Beau Debetaz is stepping into that space with a concept built on both tradition and innovation.
And if there’s one thing, he’s certain of, it’s that people still connect most with the person behind the plate.
“People want to know who you are,” he said. “That’s what makes the difference.”
