Meet the Creators of The Crawfish App

Down in Louisiana, the months of February to May are a special and exciting time—it’s crawfish season! But the search for the best priced, sized and flavored crawfish around Baton Rouge is an experience made easy by one of our favorite apps. Back in 2013, husband and wife duo Ryan and Laney King were on a quest for the perfect mudbugs in the Capital City when they thought of the idea for The Crawfish App. Their goal was simple – to give people a tool to have the ultimate crawfish experience. Since it launched in 2017, the app has grown nationwide popularity, worked with hundreds of vendors and provided 200,000 people with the best crawfish around. And now we can’t get enough of it!

The Visit Baton Rouge team sat down with Laney to learn more about how their business has grown and become a staple for crawfish lovers everywhere. Read more below.

VISIT BATON ROUGE: How do you describe crawfish to someone who has never tried it or been to a boil?

LANEY KING: When we travel, we are always wearing our Crawfish App gear, and people will ask us what it is. We find the easiest way to describe it is like miniature lobsters, but full of cajun flavor — not just butter!

VBR: What does the culture around crawfish mean to you?

LK: Until you experience a crawfish boil, you can’t quite grasp what it means. It really brings together people of all ages. We had a crawfish boil this past weekend, and there were little kids, older adults, grandparents, and even one of our kids' teachers stopped by! Twenty people from all over the neighborhood were enjoying themselves and having a good time. I thought to myself, this is what crawfish season is all about.

VBR: What does the future of The Crawfish App look like?

LK: We have a lot of potential for growth. I really think we will get to half a million users and maybe even 1 million someday. We thought this would just be a Louisiana app, but it is becoming more national now. We have spots in D.C., California, Las Vegas and Ohio. This leaves a lot of room for growth and partnerships. We try to take it one day at a time!

VBR: How does the app impact local vendors? 

LK: When we launched the app, we knew the problem was that crawfish vendors did not have a way to market their prices. They don't have budgets for advertising prices like big chain restaurants. Before we launched the app, we saw yard signs or some of the more savvy vendors would update their prices every day on Facebook, but now The Crawfish App has given vendors a way to get out their location, their prices and even reviews about if their crawfish are spicy, big or whatever it may be! It gives them a way to brag about their business, and we've had so many success stories. We've had a farmer tell us that he was about to close his doors, and thanks to The Crawfish App, he is now thriving. It is a really cool feeling to know you are doing something to help others and make the world a better place.

VBR: How does it feel to have The Crawfish App start as a Baton Rouge business?

LK: Launching the app in Baton Rouge was a really great decision because we are in the midst of crawfish country. We've received so much support—I'm not sure launching an app in bigger metro areas would get you anywhere near the support that we've gotten. We had so much support from LSU, our alma mater, through social media promotions and interviews since we’ve launched, and even local media outlets have reached out to us with interviews to air on the news. That’s game-changing for a small business that has a very small marketing budget. 

VBR: Why should the readers check out The Crawfish App?

LK: You might think you know everywhere in Baton Rouge that sells crawfish, but I promise you have no idea! This year, more than ever, prices are crazy everywhere. Inflation is insane. We cannot waste a buck. The app is free to download, and finding deals like 50 cents a pound on a live 30-pound sack of crawfish can save you a lot of money. If you're throwing a party and you need two or three sacks, you're saving 50 plus dollars just by finding a good deal on the app. There are so many hidden gems on The Crawfish App. 

Are you ready to experience the joy and hospitality crawfish season brings to Louisiana? Download The Crawfish App here, or find more crawfish in Baton Rouge here.