Discover Lafayette

Jamie Harson, owner and chef of Scratch Farm Kitchen, joins Discover Lafayette to share her commitment to serving the highest quality, fresh, locally sourced ingredients, in delicious combinations which fit the needs of any patron’s dietary preferences or restrictions. Located at 2918 Johnston Street in the Winnwood Shopping Center, Scratch Farm Kitchen has a growing legion of followers who flock in to see the daily menu, set forth on a board next to the cash register, showcasing the meals of the day. Crowd favorites such as hash-based bowls, grit-based bowls, hamburgers, and a special dish known as Boudini, a biscuit topped with boudin, cheese, egg, pesto, kimchi and Jamie’s homemade mayonnaise, are always in high demand. Jamie and her dedicated staff prepare from scratch all of the condiments accompanying meals, including their own ketchup, mustard, mayonaise, cheese, jams, and broths. They cure their own meats, and ferment products such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and sodas. The meals are colorful, delightful in their simplicity, and a testament to the virtues of eating fresh, local, wholesome foods prepared by loving hands. There is no online menu. Fresh ingredients steer the meals of the day….which is how things always used to be. “The best way to describe my food is to say it’s street food inspired. It started on grills outside. It’s American food, farm to table. I like to say my food is transparent and honest. We can answer questions about what is in our food. It is clean and simple food. Like Julia Child said, ‘Food doesn’t have to be great masterpieces, it just has to be simple and have good ingredients,'” says Jamie Harson, who relies upon local vendors to source items she does not make herself. Jamie is responsible for all the menu choices, creates the dishes offered, and prepares the soups herself. She speaks highly of her talented staff, who support her vision, saying, “They’re the best. I have a dedicated and devoted team that I can trust. I walk in everyday and that’s where I want to be. And, our clientele inspire me.” “Scratch Farm Kitchen operates only on grills, no fryers and no ovens. Everything is fresh, assembled on the line in the front of the restaurant, with all the prep activity being conducted in the back kitchen. The menu changes seasonally, in keeping what can be sourced locally. And the menu has been a learning process, from experience through the years. “If things don’t sell, they’re off the menu”, says Jamie. Jamie’s journey in the food business began as a young child, helping out at her grandfather’s farm in Duson. Picking blackberries and figs, as well as pecans on her hands and knees, or shucking corn, typically for eight hours a day. These weren’t really her favorite activities. But that’s what led her to appreciate the seasonal aspect of local food. After Jamie’s grandfather died when she was eight, she lost contact with the idea of farming until she had dream at 18 years of age. Jamie says, “I was in Portland, Oregon, and had all these pictures of a farm in my head, and called my dad (former District Attorney Mike Harson) about it and he said, ‘You’re dreaming of the family farm.'” Jamie knew she’d be back there one day. Jamie didn’t return to our area until she was 30, when she called her dad and said she was ready to go out to the family farm in Duson again. At the farm, which she called “Bon Temps Family Farms,” she began raising her family (she now has four children), along with hundreds of pigs, chickens, ducks, goats, and other livestock. Jamie had no experience in farming or ranching, and says she “learned everything on Google!” Her passion from the beginning was starting from ‘scratch.’ Jamie says, “If I was going to raise chickens, I started when they were little.” Jamie jokingly recalled one day when she drove home to the farm on Ridgefield in Duson and saw many state troopers outside of her property; all of her 300 plus pigs had gotten loose and were delighting in their freedom, jumping for joy! She had just started Scratch, and was still breeding, raising, and roasting the pigs herself. “The pigs got out everyday.” When the State Police asked what to do to gather the pigs up, Jamie knew she could herd them back into their stalls with food…..imagine hundreds of pigs running, jumping, and celebrating going back home! As a side note, raising, breeding, and roasting the pigs took a toll on Jamie, and she realized one day that it was too much to continue raising pigs alongside building her restaurant business. Once she let go of that part of her business, Scratch Farm Kitchen really took off. Jamie had always “envisioned having a small drive-thru breakfast by her farm in Duson where she could offer egg biscuits and coffee. That was the genesis of how the dream of Scratch started.” A former partner of Jamie’s, Kelsey Leger, helped that dream come to fruition, as she wanted to help. She had experience in the restaurant business, and wanted more hands on experience in the farm to table movement. And Jamie wanted to put the farm to table food on people’s plates. Scratch started out doing private dinners for 40 people, which were successful. “We would take large seasonal abundance like the old days. What do you do with three sacks of corn when it comes in? You can pickle it, make corn maque choux, corn soup, freeze it, etc. That’s essentially how Scratch was built. What do you do with 30 pounds of cucumbers? You basically build a pantry as if you were living off the land. Trade with your neighbors. I love that interaction between community, growers and family!” Next came humble beginnings as a pop up vendor at Moncus Park’s Farmers Market, to operating from a food truck (which was bought from Collin Cormier of Viva La Waffle). Jamie credits Pat Mould, the renowned local chef, who had been a steady customer of her food truck, to help her get the Scratch truck permission to locate on UL-Lafayette’s campus. She was ready to move on to have access to increased foot traffic and bring her business to the next level. For about a year, Scratch Farm Kitchen meals served hungry college kids where curry bowls and burritos were popular. And the bonus was the kids posted about Scratch Farm Kitchen on social media, sharing photos. People would show up with the photos, saying “What’s this? I want it!” Running a small restaurant business isn’t conducive to obtaining loans from bankers, and Jamie had to pay cash for needed expenditures as the business grew. One year at Festival International, Scratch “blew up,” experiencing long lines and happy customers. In 2019, Scratch moved into its initial brick and mortar restaurant at 402 Garfield Street in downtown Lafayette, staying successful strictly through word of mouth advertising and loyal clientele. While COVID presented challenges, Jamie was determined not to shut down, not to return to a food truck. They would post menus on Instagram and every night, people would text their orders in for the next day. The menu was kept simple, such as only burgers on Thursdays. Jamie remembers serving 200 – 300 burgers in three hours. The team of Jamie, her partner, and her 14-year old daughter kept the business afloat and Scratch actually did better business than they might have without the COVID shutdown. And the good part was there were no supply chain issues as they made all their condiments from scratch. By mid-June, Jamie plans to open Scratch Farm Kitchen at night, another important milestone in her business. Business is flourishing and she has the right staff in place to step up her offerings. “I love where I’m at. Especially moving into our new location. It’s like moving into a castle. It was the next right move.” One dream that Jamie still has is to blend her farm with the restaurant, to enable her employees to work at both, to work outside, and to know more about where the food is coming from. Jamie says, “The farm to table is happening already around the country. Lafayette is hungry for this. I follow my intuition and that’s what helps me grow my business. We thank Jamie Harson for her incredible mission to serve our community only the best, freshest, locally sourced foods. Check out @scratch_that_midcity for more information on Scratch Farm Kitchen, 2918 Johnston St., Lafayette or call 337-295-4769.

Dr. Amanda Logue, Chief Medical Officer for Ochsner Lafayette General, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss Ochsner’s new General Surgery Residency Program. Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the surgical residency program received nearly 600 applications for three coveted spots. The 5-year surgery program is expected to grow, training a new class of three residents per academic year, wth the inaugural class beginning July 1, 2024. Ochsner is also pursuing accreditation of Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Transitional Year Programs. On April 16, 2024, Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, the region’s only Level 2 Trauma Center, celebrated the launch of its new General Surgery Residency Program, which will begin July 1, 2024. Located inside the new, recently constructed tower at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, the completed Graduate Medical Education space will be 17,115 square feet. Phase 1 includes eight resident sleep rooms, a resident lounge, classrooms, rounding rooms and lactation rooms. Phase 2 will house numerous simulation labs and additional classroom space. Ziad Ashkar, MD, will serve as the Designated Institutional Official (DIO), ensuring the program meets the rigorous accreditation standards set by the ACGME. Dr. Dennis Eschete will serve as the Program Director for General Surgery. About 25 surgeons will be rotating, with the core group of teaching physicians being Dr. Willard Mosier, Ochsner Lafayette General’s head of trauma, Dr. Jason Breaux, Dr. Michael Horaist and Dr. Racheed “Joe” Ghanami. The new residency program is both a strategic response to the escalating physician shortage and a model for innovative care solutions leading to increased patient access. In a 2024 report, the Association of American Medical Colleges projected that physician demand will grow faster than supply, leading to a projected total shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. Moreover, Louisiana is projected to rank third nationally for a shortage of physicians by 2030, according to a Human Resources for Health analysis. Speaking of the physician shortage being experience here and nationwide, Dr. Amanda Logue shared that 140,000 patients came through Ochsner University Clinics in 2023. “It’s a huge volume, there’s a huge need for more physicians.” Ochsner Lafayette General’s new surgery residency program doesn’t replace its ongoing partnership with LSU School of Medicine’s at University Hospital & Cinics; it complements it. Dr. Logue stated, “The reality is there’s a critical need for more physicians, which is why we started our own program in addition to the existing one. This program also signifies our deep commitment to advancing medical education and addressing the dire need for surgeons in our healthcare system.” Importantly, data shows that most physicians practice within 70 miles of where they trained, so Ochsner hopes that Lafayette will be a compelling place for their residents to start their medical careers. The goal of the program is not only to provide top-tier educational opportunities, such as training at the region’s only Level 2 Trauma Center, but also to inspire innovation and compassion among the residents. The residents will learn to navigate the complexities of healthcare delivery with a patient-first approach, having the opportunity to take part in cutting-edge research and be at the forefront of developing new surgical techniques. Ochsner Health is Louisiana’s top healthcare educator of physicians. Annually Ochsner and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals. It currently offers 33 Acreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education programs, training over 330 residents and fellows each year. Dr. Logue is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Clinical Informatics, having completed her undergraduate training at LSU in microbiology, and medical training at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. She completed her residency training and chief resident year at University of Tennessee in Memphis in internal medicine. Married with three children, ages 16, 14, and 10, Dr. Logue grew up in Baton Rouge. She has worked with Ocshner Lafayette General for 15 years, and as Chief Medical Officer since October 2019, having previously served as Medical Director of the Hospitalist team, on the Information Systems team, and Chief Information Medical Officer. Dr. Amanda Logue loves Lafayette’s culture, university, and family-friendly environment. When she was hired by then-Lafayette General’s CEO, David Callecod, she says, “I knew at the time that Lafayette General had an intention to make it a good place to work, to receive care. I wanted to be a part of that. So I came on as a Hospitalist.” As Ochsner Lafayette General’s Chief Medical Officer fifteen years later, she still makes rounds as a way to keep her clinical skills sharp, and to stay connected with the nurses, techs, housekeeping, and other staff. We thank Dr. Amanda Logue for her medical service to our community and wish Ochsner Lafayette General and its incoming residents the best of success in transforming our region’s medical education landscape.

Kevin Blanchard, CEO of Downtown Development Authority (“DDA”) and Downtown Lafayette Unlimited (“DLU”), and Jessica Hauerwas, Executive Director of DLU, join Discover Lafayette to discuss their organizations’ missions, focus and programming. The two organizations work together to preserve and enhance Downtown Lafayette’s place as the heart of Acadiana, providing resources for businesses, developers, and community members to keep Downtown Lafayette thriving and successful. DLU was formed in the November 1983 as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization as the oil bust was causing people to relocate, as a mechanism to reinvigorate downtown; DDA was created in 1992 by Louisiana legislation not long after and is supported by a dedicated tax of 15 mills paid by downtown property owners. Kevin was hired to take over the helm of the two organizations earlier this year upon the departure of Anita Begnaud, who served as Downtown Lafayette’s CEO for the past several years. He brings rich experience to the table, having served as Executive Director of the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority, COO for Southern Lifestyle and Development, and Chief Development Officer and Public Works Director at Lafayette Consolidated Government under the Joey Durel Administration. He practiced as an attorney with the Onebane Law Firm, was Editor-in-Chief of the Louisiana Law Review and covered government and politics as a reporter for The Acadiana Advocate newspaper. Jessica was hired in November 2023 to oversee DLU’s day-to-day operations and promote downtown as an economic driver, cultural epicenter and key element of the region’s quality of life. She leads its fundraising strategies, nurtures relationships with the organization’s members, donors, and partners, and works on programming DLU’s events (such as Bach Lunch, Downtown Alive, and Lunch and Learn) and helps downtown businesses promote their own events. Jessica previously worked in marketing and operations with Acadiana Center for the Arts and had served as president of the DLU board. Family friendly programming is a key focus of Downtown Lafayette, as it not only provides wonderful entertainment for our community, but it serves to drive people downtown who may not have experienced its growing attractions. DDA and DLU are working to have people see downtown as a safe neighborhood, “as a great place to feel free to play, get entertained, work and live,” says Kevin. Downtown Alive is celebrating its 40th year Longtime goals of Downtown Lafayette have focused on the construction of residential spaces to attract permanent residents and achieve infrastructure improvements supporting the needs of a vibrant downtown. A residential market study commissioned by DDA shows a demand for 1,000 residential housing units in the downtown area over the next five years. New properties recently completed downtown include the Vermilion Lofts, The Lofts at the Municipal Apartments, and the Monroe Apartments. Building downtown brings its own unique challenges as the streets were built in the late 1800s and properties were placed on postage-size spaces. Kevin explained that there is a higher cost to the developer in repurposing these existing older sites, but the benefit to the community is great as existing infrastructure is utilized and the increased density creates a bigger tax base. “I am so optimistic about where we are in Downtown Lafayette. In 2016, we had a 5,400 person capacity in our downtown bars. Today, that number is 3,000. In 2017, the moratorium on bars was lifted and a conditional use process was put in place. It has promoted a health, active nighlife situation. Six or seven years ago, there were 19 restaurants downtown; now, there are 29.” says Kevin Blanchard. Private individuals are seeing the benefits of donating dollars to downtown, and one shining example is the new 6,000 square foot, $1 million state-of-the-art Playground at Parc Sans Souci, which was financed totally with private donations. The playground was designed for accessibility to people of all ages and abilities, and officially opened to the public on April 19, 2024. It’s a great place to meet for play dates and Kevin says people are driving in from surrounding towns to enjoy this new addition to downtown, causing foot traffic to spread. Festival International was held the weekend of April 24, 2024, and Kevin stated that 150,000 people were in attendance on the Saturday of festival. The event was safely coordinated, mostly by hundreds of volunteers working under the direction of Executive Director Scott Feehan, and the festival’s dedicated board of directors and staff. A new event called Farm to Table(aux) benefiting DLU is scheduled for November 10, 2024, and will be held at the AcA. It will celebrate all the things people love about downtown: the food, art and culture. General Admission tickets are $175, and VIP tickets are $225. A new initiative to convene property owners, residents, tenants, and stakeholders together to take action for a cleaner, safer Downtown will be kicked off on May 7, 2024, 11:30 to 1:30 at Rock “N” Bowl de Lafayette. Kevin Blanchard will discuss DDA and DLU’s vision on how Neighbor to Neighbor will bring the community together to align on rules and regulations, ways to hold people accountable, and steps that can be taken to continue efforts into making Downtown a welcoming environment for all. Discussion points will include: Residential living, Nightlife, Zoning and ordinances, Trash and litter maintenance, and Rules and regulations for transparency and accountability. The event is open to the public and registration may be made here. The #1 issue Kevin receives feedback on is the perception that nightlife is out of control. In DDA and DLU’s efforts to attract people downtown to reside, play and work, this is a critical issue to address. Post 10:00 p.m., there is still a chaotic atmosphere as many youth under the age of 21 head downtown to enjoy the nightlife scene. Kevin wants to see an ordinance enacted that will crackdown on underage drinking, and recounted actions taken in Baton Rouge after the tragic death of a female LSU student, who, with a blood alcohol level of .319, was raped, dropped off on the street by her assailants, then fatally hit by a car. In Baton Rouge’s Tigerland, the bar owners now self-regulate on monitoring the drinking age of its patrons as it is not worth it to be shut down and lose business. “We need to get to this point as a community. Residents don’t want to live around the chaos.” “Early adopters” of living downtown are either young, married couples with no children, or unmarried individuals. Empty nesters are a growing market but are still not in the early adopter audience, which DDA wants to target as they continue to work to showcase downtown as a neighborhood. “Downtown is the new mall. You park once and you’re able to eat, shop, and have unique experiences. We’re working to encourage people who haven’t been downtown in a while to come down and experience it. You can now see people on sidewalks 24/7 and it feels right as there are more residential spaces,” says Jessica Hauerwas, Executive Director of DLU. It helps to remember history, to put the significance of a vital downtown core into perspective. Before the 1950s, before the interstate was built, downtown was “the town of Lafayette.” People lived there, worked there, shopped there, and ate there. It is still a place to be regarded as a neighborhood, and is thriving. Kevin says, “While there are issues with affordable housing, homelessness, and adjudicated properties in areas that abut Downtown Lafayette, DDA and DLU’s new mindset is to lead conversations and work with neighborhood coteries to solve common problems.” What helps the core of Lafayette ultimately benefits our whole region. As Kevin eloquently said, “I think Lafayette is best when it’s betting on itself. We can do this….we can figure it out.” For more information on DDA and DLU, as well as upcoming events, visit https://downtownlafayette.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/downtownlafayette.

Jeannie DelGreco, a Lafayette realtor with eXp Realty, joins Discover Lafayette to share her rich and storied entrepreneurial journey in sales. While Jeannie’s current career today as a mom and realtor with eXp Realty is fulfilling and successful, in this interview, Jeannie looks back at the various lessons learned and experiences she survived that made her the person she is today. And to put it into perspective, Jeannie is a highly successful real estate agent with eXp Realty, being ranked in 2023 by the firm as the #4 sales agent in Lousiana and #2 in Acadiana with $14 million in sales volume. While Jeannie has never thought of herself as a sales person, she remembers as a child launching a small business selling Mother of Thousands (Kalanchoe laetivirens) plants door to door all on her own. She says, “It was a brave thing to do, knocking on doors to sell the baby plants I had placed in small egg cartons, asking people to buy one for 25 cents or 4 for $1.00! At LSU as a student, she similarly worked with a friend, painting t-shirts or party cups for sorority events to earn extra spending money. One summer changed Jeannie’s life trajectory when she was asked to spend the summer with her mother’s close friend from New Iberia, Sandra DeBlanc, who lived in Columbus, Ohio and was employed as Director of Sales for Victoria’s Secret Catalog. Sandy had served in the Air Force Intelligence during the Vietnam War, and was a wonderful role model for this young girl who needed a bit of direction. Sandy hired Jeannie to join the sales force team for Victoria’s Secret Catalog for the summer and she was on her way to learning customer relations. During the time Jeannie worked for Victoria’s Secret Catalog, it was before the internet became a dominant method way to make sales, and people had to phone in their orders. Catalogs were mailed out weekly and the sales force in Columbus were mainly college girls such as Jeannie. She loved the work and learned how build rapport with customers. She learned how to deal with people who were calling in angry about an order that had gone awry, as well as those who were just shopping, asking for assistance. Jeannie found it natural and easy to describe the garments, get the customers to envison themselves in an outift, and suggest ways to finish a look, encouraging customers to buy more, thereby increasing average order volume. She remained in Columbus, and attended The Ohio State University studying business, marketing, and human resources. “I loved the sales work at Victoria’s Secret Catalog, and I also learned key lessons from my mom’s friend, Sandy, who taught me that you have to pay your dues in the work place. Don’t expect to come in and be promoted right away. You have to earn your position.” On the day of Jeannie’s graduation from The Ohio State University, her parents were in town and attended a festival with her. While enjoying the festival, she met a milliner named Patricia Shypertt who made custom hats and holding a raffle to give away a flat travel hat to the lucky winner. Lo and behold, Jeannie won the hat and started a conversation with the milliner inquiring about her practice of designing hats. This serendipitous event led Jeannie down another path, where she decided to become a milliner. She quit her job at Victoria’s Secret Catalog, became a waitress to support herself, and started making custom hats in Columbus, Ohio. Jeannie on graduation day with mentor Sandra DeBlanc “I had always had this idea that to be artistic, it had to begin when you were very young. You couldn’t change course in your 20’s. Patricia Shypertt (the milliner who mentored Jeannie) was in her 40’s and she said, ‘Oh no, I just learned how to do this two or three years ago. I’ll help you in any way I can.” After Jeannie began garnering clients, her parents wanted to invest in her company, and took her on a buying trip to New York City. While there, her dad suggested that they explore the real estate rental options. They found a loft in Nolita (North of Little Italy) in lower Manhatten at 212 Bowery Street, just a few doors down from the famous Bowery Mission. Her dad asked her if she wanted to move to the city, and he covered the initial rental costs of securing the loft space. The loft would take about two months to be ready and Jeannie moved to NYC to open her millinery business there. Hats on display in Henri Bendel store in Columbus OH Hats in J. Peterman Store Jeannie in the Bowery Loft A small wholesale rep company, Meridian, signed Jeannie on to market her custom hats, along with other entrepreneurial artists making custom jewelry, pottery, etc for display and sale. All the supplies she needed were right there in the Garment District in NYC and her loft conveniently included an outdoor space where she could spray the toxic chemicals needed to shape and set the hat’s form. Jeannie quickly garnered a great following of Orthodox Jewish customers who wore hats every day, and before she knew it, she had a large contract to supply hats for the renowned J. Peterman company. She was careful to be professional in her business dealings, having formed an LLC to protect herself personally from liability or monetary claims. But, unfortunately, J. Peterman never completely paid Jeannie’s company for the hats she sent them as the company went into bankruptcy. Initially, they had sent her $8,000 of the $24,000 they owed, which she deposited into her LLC bank account. After bugging them daily to find out when she could expect the balance she finally learned the heartbreaking news that J. Peterman had filed for bankruptcy and there would be no further payments. She asked to have her hats back, so she could sell them, but she learned the hard way about Rule # 1 in bankruptcy: when a company or individual goes into bankruptcy, all assets are frozen and unpaid merchandise is not returned. She was left holding the bag for the remainder of the invoice. She decided to shut down her hat business, realizing that a 9 to 5 job wasn’t so bad after all, with a lot less stress. She took a job at Delia’s, one of the first factory direct sales outlets focusing on young teen consumers, which sparked a fashion revolution. All was well until the day she remembers her then-boyfriend/now-husband, Anthony, was visiting her apartment and noticed she had gotten mail from J. Peterman. Jeannie didn’t want to open it, as she was done with the retailer unless they gave her back her hats so she could recoup her losses. So Anthony opened the letter and informed her that she was being sued by J. Peterman, demanding that she send back the $8,000.00 An unbelievable outcome, until you realize Rule # 2 of bankruptcy: the bankruptcy trustee goes back 60 to 90 days from the time the debtor files for bankruptcy to retrieve any and all payments the bankrupt made to third parties during that time! While she was operating business under her LLC, the $8,000.00 check had been made payable to her personally, and she had deposited it into her LLC bank account not thinking anything of it. She was found to be personally liable and responsible for paying back the money she was paid. Pictured is the actor, John O’Hurley, who played J. Peterman on the NBC Seinfeld show, along with the actual John Peterman, founder of J. Peterman. At the 11th hour of bankruptcy proceedings of the J. Peterman company in 1999, O’Hurley bailed out the company, becoming an investor and co-owner of the company, and is a co-owner to this day. Photo attributed to today.com/video. Jeannie was never made whole for her $24,000 invoice for custom hats, and had to file for personal bankruptcy on the advice of legal counsel. “I felt like a truck hit me. J. Peterman still had my hats, and I thought, please just give them back, I can sell them and pay my expenses incurred while creating them. I got legal advice to file for personal bankruptcy, which went against my grain and upbringing.” She had to go to bankruptcy court in NYC and today looks back and feels as though she earned an MBA with all she went through as a small business owner. “Most laws are not skewed in favor of small business people. Such is life. You can either be resilient, pick up and move on, or you can be a victim. That is not me to be a victim.” In the meantime, while working at Delia’s running the sales force, Jeannie realized the company wasn’t hitting their marks on sales. She was interviewed by a consultant, who ironically had come from Victoria’s Secret Catalog where Jeannie had previously worked, who was brought in to troubleshoot for Delia’s. After a long day of him listening to Jeannie coach the sales team, the consultant asked what he could do to help and she responded, “Get me the sales people from Columbus.” The realization of the employee pool and the ever-rising costs of prime real estate in NYC led the management team at Delia’s to shut down and move the entire business to Columbus, Ohio. Jeannie, along with the 250 former employees of Delia’s sales team, received a nice severance package. Jeannie decided to get certified in yoga, and studied under the world-renowned Cyndi Lee, in Union Square, New York City. Jeannie Derouen DelGreco studied for ten months under the tutelage of the world-renowned Cyndi Lee, the first female Western yoga teacher to fully integrate yoga asana and Tibetan Buddhism. Lee founded and ran the OM yoga enter, and is one of the most influential teachers of yoga in the U. S. and abroad, having trained thousands of yogis. When it was time to get back to a day job, Jeannie joined Kiehl’s, a high-quality skin care company in New York City, which at the time was located solely at Third Avenue and East 13th Street, which is now its flagship store. The company had originally opened in 1851, and had remained a small family-owned store until being purchased by L’Oreal in 2000. Jeannie was brought on as a part of the team to help transfer operations from a family owned business to the world of corporate America. Kiehl’s wanted to maintain its focus on extreme customer service and Jeannie brought just the right skills to the table. Time went on, and she and her husband, Anthony, were living in Queens, NY, with two small children, and he was an IT Director with New York Life. Anthony was tired of commuting long distances to get to work and missed seeing his young children as he left early and returned late from work each day. Plus, Anthony had always wanted to live in the South, and Lafayette was the perfect place to relocate with Jeannie’s family ties. He looked for a job and found one with a local bank in Lafayette. When Anthony informed his New York Life employer of his decision to move, they countered the next day to allow him to keep his position and work remotely from Lafayette, which was a much better fit given his years of experience with the company. This was in the early days after 9/11 when people were just realizing that you didn’t have to be onsite for a job to effectively work, but not many people were actually taking advantage of this. Off to Lafayette the DelGreco family moved. In the early days of their move, Jeannie taught yoga at Red’s and City Club, and got into the volunteer lifestyle. But she was soon ready for another business challenge, and met two friends, Jana Hickey and her mother, Charlotte Ducote, who encouraged her to get her license to become a realtor. Jeannie quickly realized she had to hustle to get clients as no one just calls you up asking for help. Jeannie jumped into the work world, learning how to service clients effectively by shadowing successful realtors and took classes. She originally started at Keller Willliams, for which she credits great training. Her first sale involved a son of someone she met at Red’s, who wanted to buy a mobile home. Her first sale involved “Wheel Estate!” Jeannie has used all the skills gained throughout her sales career to break down barriers to success in the real estate business. Her journey has helped her weather the inevitable ups and downs in the real estate business. She will cold call potential clients, and identifies opportunities which others may overlook. Jeannie generously shared her tactics during our interview, which include calling neighbors of a house which recently sold to see if they might want to sell their home as the home has the right address, the right neigborhood to successful sell. She will also call people whose listing agreement recently expired, to see if they might want to partner with her, and even reaches out to people who live in a desirable neighborhood that a client wants to live in, to see if they have considered selling. Jeannie DelGreco says about cold calling potential sellers, “I’m not trying to sell, I’m just asking if they any interest in selling. Lo and behold, people will say they really do want to sell, how did I know? That it is a sign from God that she called.” She believes in being honest with people who are looking at homes and points out issues before they become a problem, such as a perceived defect in a property. That way, all involved are informed and able to make an educated decision. A true professional. Discover Lafayette wants to thank Jeannie DelGreco for being such a gracious guest on our show. For more information or to get in touch with Jeannie, visit https://jeanniedelgreco.exprealty.com/.

Dale Clark and Ursula Quoyeser join us today to discuss the third annual Fin Feather Fur Food Festival benefiting the Team Gleason Foundation for people living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (“ALS”). Team Gleason Foundation was founded by Steve Gleason, a former New Orleans Saints safety who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. Since its inception that same year, Team Gleason has provided over $40 million to people living with ALS, supplying critically needed mobility equipment such as shower chairs, wheelchair accessories, and power seat elevators, as well as speech generating devices for those who have lost the ability to speak. Dale Clark is a Lafayette native who works as an engineer for Badger Oil. He was diagnosed with ALS in October of 2020. Ursula Quoyeser is also a Lafayette native and was an educator and coach at ESA and other schools before being diagnosed with ALS in July of 2023. The Festival, known as F5, is a cooking competition where teams compete in the Fin, Feather, Fur or Dessert divisions, along with an auction featuring items such as season tickets to UL-Lafayette’s four major sports, framed jerseys of Drew Brees and Jake Delhomme, a pellet grill with wifi, and much more. Tickets are $45 each and entitle you to taste all 45 teams’ food entries along with beer and wine included. F5 was started by Dale and his good friend, Joe Bernard, as a way to help people living with ALS. “Team Gleason was the obvious choice,” says Dale, and Joe had experience hosting other F5 events for oil and gas industry charitable fundraisers. Last year F5 raised $170,000 and in the previous inaugural year, $168,000. This year, F5 will be held at Blackham Coliseum on Thursday, April 25, from 4 to 8 pm. That day also features Festival International and Dale encourages people to drop by Blackham Coliseum first before heading out to a night of musical entertainment. You can purchase tickets to F5 by visiting https://www.facebook.com/events/787195629932250 About 5,000 people in the U. S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. It is difficult to diagnose and is often diagnosed by ruling out other diseases, which can take months or years. There is no cure for ALS, which is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in which a person’s brain loses connection with the muscles. Symptoms start with a progressive loss of muscle control. ALS kills motor neurons, causing muscles to weaken and eventually paralyze. People with ALS lose their ability to walk, talk, eat and in time, breathe. The average life expectancy is 2 to 5 years once diagnosed. 10% of cases are inherited through a mutated gene; the remaining 90% of cases occur without a family history of ALS. Military veterans are more likely to get ALS. For more information, visit https://www.als.org/ Baseball great Lou Gehrig is one of the iconic heroes who was famously diagnosed with ALS in 1938. He went on to play baseball for a full year before retiring on July 4, 1939, giving his “Luckiest Man” speech. Each year, Lou Gehrig Day is celebrated on June 2 by Major League Baseball, marking the day he became the starting first baseman for the New York Yankees. Here at home, Dale and Ursula are bravely facing ALS and doing all they can to help others with the disease, as well as working to keep up their strength. Dale is relatively lucky, having only lost the use of his right arm and developing hoaresness. Ursula exercises daily by going to Red’s Health Club and riding her incumbent bike alongside her Aussie Doodle, who wears goggles in sun to protect its eyes. They both have incredible attitudes and want to do all they can to raise awareness of ALS among us here in Acadiana. They are also both patients of Dr. Stanley H. Appel, a world-renowned neurologist at Houston Methodist, who has been at the forefront of ALS research for decades. In his 90’s, Dr. Appel is still working to find a cure for ALS. To all of my awesome family and all my amazing friends, I will be participating in the Crescent City Classic this coming Saturday! I am excited to help raise $ for Team Gleason’s ALS Foundation by participating in this event. This is a 10k run but I will have the opportunity to use my recumbent trike, (yes, I feel so lucky)! If you would like to make a donation that will go to Team Gleason please use the link below. Thank you all for the support you have shown me throughout my life in all I have done and most importantly since I have been diagnosed with ALS. https://runsignup.com/Race/65952/Donate/ganDgAvPo90t9EO5 Posted by Ursula Quoyeser on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 Advice from Dale and Ursula for persons afflicted with ALS: First, inform your nearest fire station. In the event you have a power outage, the fireman can help by bringing a generator to your house to assist in keeping your electronics running. Also, Waffle House always has electricity, so if you need a place to plug in your equipment, that is a reliable place to go. Ursula also shared that all people with ALS carry a card identifying their condition; in the event they are stopped while driving, the police officer will know their slurred speech or weakness is not a symptom of impaired driving, but of ALS. Discover Lafayette thanks Dale Clark and Ursula Quoyeser for a heartwarming discussion of ALS. We can all make a difference by donating AND supporting the upcoming F5 festival on April 25, 2024!

Ross Murphree, President of Olde Tyme Grocery Group, joins us today to discuss his family-owned restaurants, which include Olde Tyme Grocery, Sandra’s Café and Health Food Store, and BJ’s in Broussard. The patriarch behind this conglomerate of eateries is Ross’s father, Glenn Murphree, who originally purchased Olde Tyme Grocery in 1982. It has become one of Lafayette’s most iconic spots known for its classic poor boy sandwiches made on fresh Langlinais Bakery bread every day. Olde Tyme Grocery has been recognized for its excellence by national publications, being voted #1 Budget Dining in the Nation on Trip Advisor Travelors’ Choice Awards and ranked #2 in USA Today’s Best Po’Boys in Louisiana. Olde Tyme Grocery’s Glenn Murphree in the early days. Ross recounted the story of Glenn’s foray into the poor boy business. A native of Chalmette, Glenn attended USL in the late 1970’s, and enjoyed his time in college, driving a Budweiser truck for Schilling Distributing and managing the Keg. In May of 1982, Glenn bought a little grocery store at 218 W. St. Mary Blvd. near USL’s campus, named Olde Tyme Grocery. At that time, it had aisles of groceries and a small delicatessan space, which was frequented by the neighbors on small grocery runs. Short on cash, Glenn borrowed $8,000 from his dad and $8,000 from the bank, and he was on his way. Interestingly, Glenn had little to no experience in the food business at the time, having worked for only two weeks at a poor boy shop while in high school and swearing he would never do it again! Now, 42 years later, things seemed to have worked out for this highly successful endeavor. Olde Tyme Grocery’s menu is simple and hasn’t changed much in the past 42 years. Sixty per cent of its sales revolve around the highly popular shrimp poboy. “It keeps us in business,” Ross says. Besides offering deli meats and gourmet specials, Olde Tyme is known for its catering, and the restaurant feeds UL’s teams when they travel out of town. During UL’s summer football camp, Olde Tyme will prepare up to 1500 bag lunches in one day. There are different nightly specials where you can order a full-size poboy for $7.00 including tax. Monday’s special is a whole meatball poboy; Tuesday is ham; Wednesday is sausage, and Thursday is turkey. If you are looking for a filling meal or great leftovers, there is no better deal. The snowball stand, located right behind Old Tyme, is open from April 1 through September 30 each year. Olde Tyme Grocery operates at a high volume of sandwiches, averaging 700 on Monday through Thursday, and up to 1000 on any given Friday. During Fridays in Lent, business doubles, and up to 2000 sandwiches will be served. Ross says that they can go through 600 pounds of shrimp on Fridays in Lent, which are always Gulf white shrimp. Ross Murphree says, “Olde Tyme Grocery was my dad’s first child. Today, Ross serves as President, and three other Murphree children, Becca, Brad, and Greg are involved in various aspects of the business. For more information on Olde Tyme Grocery’s menu, visit https://www.oldetymegrocery.com/#/ BJ’s in Broussard is another popular lunch spot owned by the Murphrees. In the mid-1990’s, Glenn was interested in expanding Olde Tyme Grocery and came across the site of BJ’s. He and his wife, Cherie, only had three children and the timing seemed good. But plans changed when a fourth and then fifth child came along quickly and the decision was made to leave BJ’s as is. Ross gave a big shout out to “Ms. Jenny” who was employed by BJ’s several years before the Murphrees purchased the restaurant and is still there 27 years later. BJ’s food is “in the Old Tyme tradition,” and you can get the same poboys as you can at Olde Tyme. Plus, they offer two plate lunch items daily. BJ’s is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day except Sunday. Located at 107 N. Morgan Avenue, Broussard LA 70518, you can find more information about daily menu choices on facebook. The acquisition of Sandra’s Café and Health Food Store at 111 Rena Drive in Lafayette came about when Glenn went to buy used kitchen equipment from the owner of Sandra’s in 2007. Ross says, “In typical Glenn Murphree style, he owned the building and business two weeks later, not knowing anything about health food!” Glenn brought Chrystal, a longtime cook at BJ’s in Broussard, to run the kitchen and she is still cooking for Sandra’s after all these years. Sandra’s menu has evolved from its early days, and offers three to four different plate lunches every day, plus soup and salad at affordable prices, averaging $11.95. All produce is organic, and free range chicken/grass fed beef are offered. There are daily lunch specials such as hamburger steaks, chicken shwarma, shrimp, rotisserie chicken, and salmon, and breakfast is also offered daily. The health food section still offers groceries and health supplements, and Ross describes it as a “small Whole Foods.” Visit https://www.sandrascafeandhealthfood.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/sandrashealthfood for more information. In 2015, Glenn Murphree branched out from the restaurant business and began selling antiques he purchases at estate sales and auctions. He opened MLC Antiques & Gifts at 112 Rena Drive, across the street from Sandra’s. Humorously, MLC stands for “Mid Life Crisis.” Open from Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Glenn offers a plethora of furniture, glassware, and antique items. The location is perfect as he can run back and forth from Sandra’s to MLC throughout the day. Jan Swift and Glenn Murphree at MLC Antiques & Gifts Glenn Murphree’s 1923 Ford Model T Family business stories such as the Murphree’s are heartwarming and inspirational. Ross shared how hard his dad worked for so many years to be able to build his businesses and provide a good life for his family. He shared a nostalgic look back in time when Glenn first purchased Olde Tyme; with little cash, he ran all aspects of the business himself, relying upon the help of his college Theta XI fraternity brothers who would pitch in when needed. Pictured below is an iconic photo from 1980, which hangs on the wall in Olde Tyme Grocery, with Glenn and his close buddies memoralized as the “Panama City Studs.” The concept and success of Olde Tyme Grocery lends itself to expansion and Ross shared that he would like to see the business branch out. Perhaps first to the southside of Lafayette and then, the “big dream would be to stretch down I-10, east and west. Even beyond. We have the brand that can get us there.” Murphree children Cheri and Glenn Murphree The success of any family business is attributable to support and encouragement. Ross spoke with pride about his family, including his mother, Cheri, who worked at Olde Tyme in the early days. He also spoke lovingly of his siblings, Becca, Brad, Greg and Lauren. And of course, his dad, Glenn, who exemplifies hard work and strong character. Discover Lafayette thanks Ross Murphree for sharing his story of dedication to his family business and his commitment to Lafayette. A graduate of UL in business, he began working at Old Tyme when a freshman in high school, helping with the snowball trailer events. He worked at BJ’s his senior year, and then back at Olde Tyme in college. In 2010, he says his dad, “rooked me into working full-time at Olde Tyme, and ten years later started running the show.” He and his sister, Becca, have been active in the business for the past 14 years. Ross Murphree, pictured with his wife, Brenna.

Carencro Mayor Charlotte Stemmans Clavier joins Discover Lafayette to share her journey in business and politics. A life long resident of Carencro, Charlotte grew up in a political family. Both of her grandfathers served as police jurors for Lafayette Parish. Back in the day when political business was handled a bit more informally, and before open meeting laws, one of her granddads, Eddie Stemmans, would include her in political outings. Charlotte remembers “being the little girl sitting on an ice chest, that would go get them a beer. After watching it a little bit, I realized I wanted to do this! I’ve seen all sides of politics, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I always enjoyed it and knew I would run for public office.” Pictured from left: Carencro Police Chief David Anderson, Mayor Charlotte Stemmans Clavier, along with City Council members Alfred Sinegal, Jordan Arceneaux, Danielle Caprito, Antoine Babineaux, Jr., and Taylor James. Charlotte graduated from Carencro High and three years later from Tulane University.  While in college, she worked as an intern for Jim Gelpi, the founder of The Alliance for Good Government. She loved the experience and it shaped her attitude in serving others at the highest level of integrity and fiscal responsibility. Studying at Tulane also shaped her and Charlotte recalled the challenging studies offered by the university with a demanding expectation that students master educational materials. With her experience of working in the family business, Stemmans, Inc. – The Horse Supply Specialists, Charlotte was used to hard work and says, “I went to work at 11, ran my first store at 12, so my idea of college was different.” Today, Charlotte is President of Stemmans, located on Gloria Switch Road, and responsible for the day to day operations of this iconic, family-owned store, originally opened in 1968 as a tack shop by her parents, Don and Janet Stemmans. She has worked in the business for 35 years. Growing up in the horse industry has shaped Charlotte’s life; she gives back to the industry by currently serving as Vice President of Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, which represents all racehorse owners and riders in the state. While Charlotte hasn’t ridden a horse in years, she is the proud owner of racehorses and at our interview was looking forward to Evangeline Downs opening night on April 5, 2024. Charlotte served as mayor pro tempore of Carencro from 1999 until 2003, during the tenure of former Mayor Tommy Angelle. She was elected mayor in November 2022. “I love, love, love what I do. It’s the perfect job for me. I have a great group of people that work with me. Carencro is a community on the grow. We’re a blessed town. Many people are moving in, moving north, due to high insurance rates. There are 1400 homes in active development in the City of Carencro.” With its rapid growth, there are many infrastructure needs to be addressed such as sewer plants, replacing old gas and water lines. Charlotte is also advocating for a new light to be installed by DOTD at the busy intersection of Ira and University Avenue. "I am proud to announce that we are beginning the next phase of replacing our old water lines and moving one step closer to Carencro's occasional brown water issues becoming a thing of the past. Thank you to our fantastic Water and Sewer Department and Fenstermaker and Associates for moving our city forward with top-tier water infrastructure." – Mayor Charlotte Clavier Posted by City of Carencro Government on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 News of the $8.9 million Louisiana Avenue extension from Butcher Switch Road to Gloria Switch Road, is exciting news for Carencro. Not only will this open up opportunities for development, but it will greatly assist commuter traffic. The project is expected to take a year or so to complete. The City of Carencro offers lots of fun activities for residents and visitors alike. It’s highly popular, Mercredi Show recently started back up its Spring schedule of seven weekly concerts held at Pelican Park. A free event with food offered by a different sponsor each week, Mercredi Show is a family friendly event open to all. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/MercrediShow/ This November, the Carencro C’est Bon Seasoning Festival will be held at Pelican Park. Contestants can enter their seasoning blend to be judged by attendees, as well as sell their blend onsite. Visit https://cestbonseasoningfest.com/ for more information. 2024 C’est Bon Seasoning Festival Print designed by Sarah Clostio. Charlotte Stemmans Clavier is only the eighth person to serve as mayor of Carencro. Founded in 1905, Carencro has historically seen very little turnover in its public servants and has also enjoyed a history of diversity in its elected officials, going back to the 1970’s when African Americans were elected to the city council. Carencro also had the first female police chief in the 1970’s. Charlotte is the proud mother of three children, Derek, Anna Camille, and Eva. A delightful person and friend to all, we want to thank Charlotte for beautiful joie de vivre she brings to every occasion, as well as for her public service. If you haven’t checked out Carencro lately, we encourage you to drive over and enjoy its culture and magnificent scenery.

The beautiful Louisiana Swamp Base, a national conservation and high adventure recreation program created by the Evangeline Area Council, Boy Scouts of America in 2010, is our focus this episode. Swamp Base aims to immerse thousands of young people in the environment and culture of the 1.4 million acre Atchafalaya Swamp each year. It is open to the general public for all kinds of activities, including ecotourism events for travelers, and the program also partners with universities across the U. S. to expand curriculum offerings.   Jason Sikora, of RADER studios, recorded this interview with host, Jan Swift, along with Swamp Base Executive Director Ben Pierce, and Gina Beckman, Program Director. The Atchafalaya is home to hundreds of species of birds, mammals and reptiles. People who visit from across the U. S have many preconceived notions about what it means to live in Louisiana, and Ben Pierce and his team savor the opportunity to change minds and hearts. https://youtu.be/9v-_EeeBdMg Each summer, Swamp Base’s high adventure treks offer 6 day/6 night paddling trips through the Atchafalaya Swamp, covering 61.6 miles. Modeled from the Boy Scouts of America’s four National High Adventure camps and bases (Philmont Scout Ranch, Northern Tier, the Florida Sea Base, and the Summit Bechtel Reserve), Swamp Base offers a premier camping and paddling adventure opportunity for youth serving organizations from across America. A group of Scouts and registered adult leaders attending Swamp Base are called a “Trek Crew.” Each Trek Crew consists of registered Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America or other accepted youth serving organization, including a minimum of two registered adult leaders. Swamp Base daily starts two Trek Crews on their high adventure journey from June 6 – July 15. Each Trek Crew consists of 8 to 11 people, which includes a minimum of 2 adult leaders. With two crews starting daily, a Scout unit can bring 16 to 22 people on a high adventure trek. The cost are $795 per person, or with a larger group. $745 per person. Hotel stays for the first night and last night are provided (in Lafayette) and all meals are covered. Visit https://www.swampbasebsa.org/trek-1-itinerary for more information. Ben Pierce is a founding member and co-creator of Louisiana Swamp Base and originally established the program as a conservation-based activity during the Evangeline Area Council’s Centennial of Scouting celebrations in 2010. He has led the development and growth of the program as an accredited and official BSA high adventure base since 2013. Passionate about his work, Ben enjoys paddling whenever he can and finds refuge in the beautiful Cypress-filled Atchafalaya Basin. He graduated from LSU in landscape architecture and left Louisiana afterward. “I fell in love with Louisiana after I left. You don’t know what you’re missing until you’re gone. When I had a chance to return in 2009-10 and have a chance to learn how to celebrate our local landscape and culture, it had become important to me. When I came back, I knew I had to leave a lasting legacy.” Gina Beckman was introduced to Swamp Base in 2016 when she served as a summer trek guide, and returned to the program in 2022 as the organization’s Program Director. In this role, she develops and implements trek activities that align with the mission of the organization while also making sure learning and having fun are at their cores. Gina is the recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award, Venturing Silver Award, and Sea Scout Quartermaster Award. She brings inspirational enthusiasm and know-how as she educates others on this national treasure, the Louisiana Swamp Base. One of her favorite experiences occurs on day three of Trek 1 and is known as “Forgotten Cove” by Lake Dauterive. The Evangeline Area Council, BSA, is celebrating its 100 year anniversary this year and has made a lasting commitment to the Atchafalaya Swamp as its service project for the next 100 years. What began as a simple tree planting to commemorate Scouting’s Centennial in 2010 has quickly transformed into a comprehensive plan to engage Scouts, schools, and the public in a meaningful effort to preserve, protect and promote the Atchafalaya Swamp. We congratulate the Evangeline Area Council for its continued commitment to enriching the lives of young people throughout Acadiana. The crown jewel of the Atchafalaya Swamp is Lake Fausse Pointe. This 12,000 acre lake is home to the oldest cypress trees in the entire swamp and are some of the oldest in the entire state.. One of Ben Pierce’s favorite sites in which to paddle is located on the North rim of Lake Fausse Pointe. Louisiana Swamp Base bought McGee’s Landing, a longtime swamp tour outfit, in 2016. McGee’s offers swamp boat tours, airboat rides, and sunset tours of the Atchalafaya. Canoe rentals and guided photography excursions are also offered. Visit https://www.mcgeesswamptours.com/ for more information. For more information on Louisiana Swamp Base, visit https://www.swampbasebsa.org/ 2024 registration is now open and offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn more about the Atchalafaya Swamp Base, a true national treasure.

Randy Daniel joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his career in the restaurant business, an endeavor he has loved since his first gig at 14 years old working in catering services. Randy is a principal partner in OMW Restaurant Holdings, the owner and operator of La Pizzeria, as well as Kat Daddy wings, a delivery-only restaurant. OMW is the operating partner of Mercy Kitchen, Palmyre, and BJ’s Pizza House. Each restaurant offers a unique culture and cuisine. Service as a board member for the Louisiana Restaurant Association, as well as being President of its local Acadiana Chapter the past four years, has given Randy greater insight to the common struggles restaurant owners face. He says, “It is a daily struggle to make money throughout the state of Louisiana. The average restaurant makes about one cent on each dollar of sales, although of course there are some who do much better.” Prices have skyrocketed with inflation and post-COVID market forces. The industry has seen a 20% increase in food costs, a 30% increase in labor costs, and insurance premiums have gone through the roof. Even if a restaurant’s sales increase, the business may not see a profit. Also, Randy says, “We’ve gone from a cash society to a credit card society, which increases the cost of doing business. I’m personally dead set against the customer having to cover that. You bake it into the cake. There are restaurant owners trying to figure out how to pass it on. If you have a restaurant with $1 million in sales, you’re paying about $40,000 in processing fees a year.” “I always used to have a mathematical formula to figure out how much to charge for a dish. That multiplier doesn’t work anymore. Not because the math is off, but because customers aren’t willing to pay what it costs to cover the actual cost of the dish. A restaurant’s number one competitor is grocery stores, because customers aren’t willing to spend.” Photo by Scott Clause of the Advertiser. Randy brings years of experience to OMW Restaurant Holdings, having served as director of operations for Double R Restaurant Group (former owners of Romacelli, POUR and Another Broken Egg locations), as well as 18 years with the Outback Steakhouse group. Through his work with Double R Restaurant group, he worked closely with Stuart Ottinger. When Double R decided to dissolve, Randy and Stuart first operated their own restaurants before joining forces to bring unique concepts to Lafayette. Today, Stuart Ottinger, through his company, OPG, is the controlling owner of Mercy Kitchen and Palmyre restaurants; OMW is the Operating Partner. Randy credited Colleen Ottinger, Stuart Ottinger’s wife, for her incredible sense of style in creating the beautiful interiors of Mercy Kitchen and Palmyre. Recounting his much-anticipated opening of La Pizzeria in February 2020: “I was in D. C. meeting with U. S. Rep. Mike Johnson in March 2020 and learned that the government would be shutting down on March 13. That was the most fortunate I’ve ever been in a meeting. I was able to fly home, sit down with my managers, and come up with a plan. I had to say, ‘We all have two choices; we can work seven days a week, stay open and keep as many hourly staff as we can, or we can close our doors.’ We didn’t know yet about PPE. To their credit, our managers said, ‘Let’s do it!” And, the restaurant survived. La Pizzeria baked Apple Brie The Acadian Pizza at La Pizzeria Kat Daddy Wings, a “ghost kitchen,” was a result of COVID. Kat Daddy Wings sells prepared food for delivery only. It was one of the first ghost kitchens in Lafayette. With a mainly fried food menu, it was developed initially as a way for OMW to stay profitable during COVID. Randy hopes one day to see Kat Daddy Wings in a brick and mortar location. Randy shared valuable lessons he learned after purchasing popular long-time restaurants La Pizzeria and BJ’s Pizza House, the latter of which was reopened by BOG Investments, and OMW as Operating Partner, about 2 1/2 months ago. “People don’t like change. At La Pizzeria, the most popular salad is the grilled pesto pasta salad. I came in and changed the chicken to a fresh chicken breast. The past chicken breast was heavily injected with hormones to make it tender. When a customer complained about it, I said, ‘If I wouldn’t serve this to my daughter, I wouldn’t serve it to you. She understood. But the mistake I made was to change the penne pasta to a cavitappi pasta. That lasted five days and I went back to penne pasta. When you buy a restaurant, make changes subtly. When we opened BJ’s Pizza House, I didn’t change one recipe! We worked hard to keep it the same.” Mercy Kitchen was the ‘child’ of Stuart and Colleen Ottinger. “Colleen is one of the most innovative people ever. I don’t know where she gets her ideas but she is amazing! Mercy Kitchen matches high quality foods with high quality cocktails, and offers primarily shared items for groups, such as charcuterie boards, steak and frites. A new menu will be released in the near future. Mercy Kitchen is located at 1312 Verot School Road. Visit https://www.mercy-kitchen.com/menu for more information. Bao Tacos at Mercy Kitchen Fried Grouper Sandwich at Mercy Kitchen The Goat salad at Mercy Kitchen Palmyre, located in River Ranch at 201 Settlers Trace # 3011, is as “decadent as decadent gets! Colleen Ottinger was once again the brains behind it. We wanted you to walk in and feel as though you were walking into a bar in France.” Palmyre is lovingly named after Palmyre Billeaud, Colleen’s great-great grandmother. For more information visit https://www.thepalmyre.com/ OMW also caterers and just recently provided the food and beverages for Patty in the Park for over 4000 attendees. Each restaurant also offers catering for special events. In closing, we want to thank Randy Daniel for sharing his knowledge of the restaurant business in Lafayette and Louisiana. Locally-owned restaurants are what makes Lafayette so special and are an important component of our tourism industry. We also thank Eat Lafayette and Lafayette Travel for partnering with us to produce this inspiring episode.

Chad Landreneau, developer of the app, AnimalFindr, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his mission to connect breeders, buyers, and sellers of livestock such as cattle and horses, as well as family pets. Animal Findr is available on the Apple App store and Google Play. Animal Findr connects buyers and sellers across the nation for any and every pet enthusiast. As Chad’s website says, “Whether you are looking for a Catahoula, a calico, a cobra or a cockatiel,” you can search on the go as you travel. Buyers and sellers can communicate about a potential sale in real time. The app uses GPS geolocation, geofencing, and real-time motion tracking technology, which allows you to find the animal of your dreams within a 500-mile radius of your location, across the U.S. The app is free, unless you want to subscribe so as to have access to breeding records, registration papers, or the extended family tree of the animal. Subscriptions run from $19.99 monthly to $97.99 for a six-month period. Chad grew up in Mamou, part of a third-generation farming family. He had a couple of horses while growing up, as well as farm animals, so he was always comfortable around animals. A graduate of McNeese State University, Chad worked on a Western Pleasure Horse farm while in college and enjoyed the experience. When he moved back to Lafayette after a stint working in Dallas, he came across a horse trainer who convinced him to buy a horse and give racing a whirl. Chad says, “I got bit by the bug. First we traveled to races in South Louisiana, then across Louisiana.” It was during that time that he spent many weekends in the stands waiting for a race with his horse to occur and he had plenty of time to notice the behavior of other people sitting around him. “You only compete for a couple of minutes when your horse races. The rest of the time you just sit in the stands. I noticed that everyone’s heads were down. I walked through the venue and saw that everyone was scrolling on their phone or an IPad. They were looking for their ‘winner’. I wondered how I could effectively connect people who want to buy animals with those who want to sell.” When he searched online for horses, he found sites that sell the animals by discipline, such as Barrel Racers, Race Horses, or Western Pleasure. But no sites just listing horses of all backgrounds. “I wanted a one-stop shop where all horses, as well as cattle, dogs, cats, sheep, birds, or exotic animals could be bought and sold. So, Chad created an app where users can post in real time and find their desired animal. “If I get in a truck and drive down the road for 3,000 miles, I wanted something that had the GPS technology that would reload other opportunities to buy or sell animals depending on where I was located in the country. I wanted people to find animals for sale outside of their usual territory of where they lived, as they might be traveling for horse shows or vacations. And I wanted instant messaging so if you see something you like, you can connect with the owner. It’s a way to truly connect buyers and sellers in real time, on the go.” In October 2023, Chad launched Animal Findr and the app was recently updated in February 2024. “I wanted to make sure the app works, and is rock solid in all capacities, in Android and Apple before we did the hard push. Now we have hundreds of users….buyers and sellers.” Animal Findr connects the buyer and seller, but is not involved in the actual exchange of the animal or the payment. The customers handle the actual purchase and no money is made by Animal Findr off the sale. Josh Richard of Burning Stick Creative has helped Chad market this new app. Chad recounts how he’s had to learn about Tik Tok, Instagram, FaceBook, and the ins and outs of working a website. He also shared how starting a business is not always easy. His first website programmer took his money and then hit the road. Chad eventually partnered with Accolades IT, located in downtown Lafayette, to build Animal Findr’s website, with whom he is very pleased. As with any business endeavor, Chad is learning about people’s preferences as his app is catching on. While he initially created Animal Findr to help people buy and sell horses and cattle, today the majority of transactions involve cats and dogs. “I’d really love the app to go more on the horse and cattle side!” Advice to aspiring business owners: “Get credible references to make sure that your providers are qualified. Also, I’ve learned the importance of self-funding and saving your money.” For more information on how to utilize Animal Findr, visit https://animalfindr.com/.