BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – People who work in downtown Baton Rouge have likely stopped into Serop’s Express for lunch. However, customers keep coming back for a reason beyond the food.
From strangers to regulars
Serop’s owner Luis Torres said he treats everyone who walks through the door the same way.
“I don’t care if you’re a janitor or a lawyer. To me, you’re a person, you’re a human being. I love everyone. I love people, you learn something from them everyday,” Torres said.
Torres also makes a point of remembering his customers’ names.
One customer said, “He knows all of his customers, he’s always happy, and the food is the best you’ll find anywhere in Baton Rouge.”
An immigrant’s path to ownership
Torres described how he came to own the restaurant.
“I moved here at the age of 17 from Belize straight out of high school, and I started working at Serop’s as a dish washer and slowly I was moving my way up – manager, next thing you know I’m a partner then the family sold me this location,” Torres said.
A private naturalization ceremony
The federal courthouse in Baton Rouge is near Serop’s, and federal judges who ate there regularly asked Torres about his immigration case. In 2017, Torres told one of the judges he had passed his citizenship exam and would be sworn in within two weeks. The judges arranged to move his naturalization ceremony to Baton Rouge and gave him a private ceremony.
“It was beautiful, lovely, we had a great time. It was the first time I’ve been to a federal courthouse, and I hope I never go back, you know?” Torres said.
More than 300 people attended the ceremony.
“You know, I think when you reach out to people – it doesn’t cost anything to be kind to people, man. Just be kind to people. Treat everybody the same. Have that charisma and love for them,” Torres said.
Faith and community
Torres teaches Sunday school at First Presbyterian Church downtown.
“It’s a beautiful feeling, you know? To be an immigrant and to learn to love and appreciate the things that this country has to give, you know? The American dream does exist. It does exist for me. I’m living it everyday,” Torres said.
Travel and new cultures
Torres said he has a passion for traveling and exploring new cultures. He is scheduled to travel to Budapest.
“It’s something that has educated me, you know, to meet all these different cultures, people to drink with the locals as heavy as you can, just enjoy the ride don’t have a plan or agenda, just go,” Torres said.
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Dining and Cooking