Discover Lafayette

Dr. Edmond (“Ed”) Dugas, Research Coordinator for the Athletic Network at UL – Lafayette, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his career at UL – Lafayette and his lifelong dedication to athletics at the institution.

In 2002, Ed was the driving force behind creation of the Athletic Network (“AN”), which showcases athletes/sports in UL’s past. Mike Spears of Firefly Digital developed the website.

AN provides an historical and educational clearinghouse of information about Louisiana athletics and the University spanning over 110 years. It also serves as a communications database for former athletes, support groups, faculty, administration and fans. Ed and his son, John Dugas, are volunteers who personally enter the data and take responsibility for accuracy of the site’s materials. It is truly a labor of love and devotion to UL – Lafayette sports!

Ed is a native of Evergreen LA (located between Bunkie and Cottonport). A graduate of Evergreen High School, Ed had intended to enter the Air Force Academy but his plans were short-circuited by health issues relating to his inner ears. Luckily, the Principal of his Evergreen High School was close friends and the college roommate with SLI (now UL – Lafayette) President Joel Fletcher, who convinced Ed that he should attend college in Lafayette. And as they say….the rest is history.

When Ed started college in 1958, UL Lafayette was then known as South Louisiana Institute or “SLI.” Its original name was SLII (South Louisiana Industrial Institute). In 1960, the university was renamed to USL, an acronym for University of Southwestern Louisiana, and an endeavor in which Ed was actively engaged. (The university was renamed to University of Louisiana at Lafayette in September 1999. Ed joking says that “We change our name every 39 years.”

Ed looks back upon his time at USL with fondness and shares how student workers worked hard, up to 100 hours per month, for the sum of $40 per month, while they still had to pay $16 per month to cover room and board! But the experience was invaluable and Ed taught tennis and coached basketball as he worked with Dave Fisher.

Ed went on to graduate from USL in August 1962 and was mentored by USL’s late, great basketball coach, Dutch Reinhardt. He earned a Masters and Doctorate in Physical Education and Education Administration. He looks back with admiration of the talented staff he worked with, including Dr. David Fisher, Fred Nelson, Clyde Wolf, Dr. Jim Kennison, and Al Simon.

Ed served on the UL faculty in a variety of positions and ranks from 1967 until he retired in 2001. Administratively, he served in the following positions at USL: Coordinator, Men’s Physical Education; Coordinator, Graduate Studies for the College of Education; Head, Department of Health and Physical Education; and Director of Student Teaching. He was the first Executive Director of the Louisiana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. In 1988, Ed was one of three graduates selected as “Outstanding Graduates” from the USL College of Education in their 25th year after their graduation date. In 2001, he was awarded the Professor Emeritus title at UL -Lafayette.

As you’ll hear during this interview, Ed has been anything but a retiree in the past twenty years.

Ed’s life has been defined by athletics, both in teaching and reporting on the athletic history of UL – Lafayette through the Athletic Network, which provides a place for former University athletes and fans to connect and join support teams for their favorite sports.

After a two-year hiatus, the Athletic Network went live again on December 13, 2023 thanks to a significant donation made to the Athletic Network by Edmond “Bruce” Bentley, USL Men’s Basketball Student Athlete and Manager from1966 to 1969. Bruce had described the importance he felt for the university to have a communications vehicle such as the Athletic Network website readily available at no charge to its athletes, support groups and the Cajun Nation, echoing the feelings of his mother, Dr. Doris Bentley, a long-time faculty member in the College of Business Administration who was a strong supporter of the Athletic Network.

Pictured above are a few highlights of UL – Lafayette’s history. We encourage you to visit athleticnetwork.net to check out teams and support group members, view photo galleries, news, archives, family connections and much more, dating back to the early days of SLII.

Just a little more about Ed and the exciting experiences he has had in the field of sports. He served on the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under four different governors. In 1996, Ed was honored to carry the Olympic Torch (Main Street, Opelousas and Court House Program) as it made its way through Acadiana on its way to Atlanta.

For more information on the Athletic Network, visit https://athleticnetwork.net/. To contact Ed Dugas, email [email protected].

Mike Tarantino, President & CEO of the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss the recent business developments which will change the trajectory of growth for Iberia Parish and all of Acadiana.

Passionate and well-spoken about business development and the need for all community leaders in the business and government sectors to speak with one voice if they want to attract top level investment in the region, Mike loves Iberia Parish and spoke eloquently and enthusiastically about all of the newest developments while never stopping once to look at written notes.

Mike Tarantino is a New Orleans native that moved to New Iberia with his family in the mid-70’s. He graduated from Catholic High School of New Iberia and never left. Mike previously served as interim director of the Acadiana Regional Airport and received the Richard E. Baudoin, Jr. Friend of Business Award in 2018 from the Junior Achievement of Acadiana Business Hall of Fame.

The Iberia Industrial Development Foundation is a 501(c)(6) business investor organization. Its board is comprised of both public and private sector individuals. “Half of the board comes from the public sector such as our Parish President, all of the mayors in the towns of Iberia Parish, the Director of the Port of Iberia, the Director of the Acadiana Regional Airport, and the Superintendent of Iberia Parish Schools, while the other half consists of private business leaders. It’s a place where private businesses and government come together to discuss plans for the future. We’re the folks that cast the line to get people interested in coming to our area. It has a different mission from a traditional chamber in that it is focused on professional economic development.”

Mike believes that economic development is a team sport. “It is very competitive and takes a well-honed team as well as the private and public sector working hand in hand. You have to be singing from the same sheet of music, working from the same game plan. When you market your community, many times the investors have already researched your community. Having a united front to put your best foot forward is the first step in attracting big business.”

Iberia Parish is poised for growth, especially given its assets such as the Port of Iberia which offers a 2000 acre industrial and manufacturing site, its location along Highway 90/Future I-49 corridor which runs right through the parish, and the Acadiana Regional Airport, the former Naval Auxiliary Air Station surrounded by 2500 acres of developable property. The Acadiana Gulf Access Channel is currently undergoing a dredging process to deepen its access channel from 13 feet to 20 feet in depth…a huge increase which will allow heavier traffic in from the Gulf of Mexico.

Iberia Industrial Development Foundation President & CEO Mike Tarantino with First Solar CEO Mark Widmar and Iberia Parish President M. Larry Richard (Courtesy: First Solar). “

Lafayette and Iberia Parishes share a workforce with a population of approximately 600,000 people who traverse the region. What positively affects one parish also positively affects the other.

2023 has been a very busy and productive year in Iberia Parish with a number of new developments taking shape that present great potential for growth in Acadiana.  The biggest announcement recently was the news of First Solar investing $1.3 Billion in a 2.3 million square foot facility at the Acadiana Regional Airport, its largest latest generation solar panel facility in the Western Hemisphere.

700 to 1,000 jobs will be created at First Solar, with a starting salary of $80,000. Mike credited UL – Lafayette’s engineering department, especially Dr. Terry Chambers of the Department of Mechanical Engineering who works with UL’s Photovoltaic (converting sunlight into electricity) Applied Research Lab, along with Dr. Mark Zappi and Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, for helping attract this facility. A vendor and supplier network to help local businesses connect to provide services to First Solar is also in the works….”A real ecosystem is needed so local suppliers can work together.”

Fusion One’s investment of $100 million at the Port of Iberia and Orleans is another big development. Fusion One processes used tires and plastic waste into green hydrogen. The local Iberia plant is expected to lead to 154 jobs with 110 new jobs and a $10 million annual payroll.

Cutting edge research is being conducted at the Pharmaceutical Lab at the UL – Lafayette Research Center where 9000 primates are housed. A $75 million investment by state and federal partners, along with UL – Lafayette, is being made to expand the Research Center and construct the Iberia BioInnovation Accelerator drug manufacturing facility at Progress Point Business Park. These investments will lead to the creation of a Level 3 biosafety lab at NIRC, the nation’s largest non-human primate center, that will enable advanced on-site research on infectious diseases. Mike explained the hope is to create a biopharmaceutical corridor that not only leads the way in research but keeps the manufacturing process local.

Delta Biofuels is investing $100 million in a bagasse pelletization renewable energy facility in Iberia Parish in Jeanerette near the Enterprise Sugar Mill. 165 direct jobs and a few hundred indirect jobs are expected to be created. Bagasse is a byproduct of sugar cane harvest such as the stalks and leaves; the product is turned into pellets to burn as energy. The product will be sold to the Asian market to replace coal in their efforts to transition away from fossil fuels. Mike Tarantino expects hiring to begin in the first quarter of 2024.

Aviation Exteriors (AvEx), which specializes in painting and decaling major aircraft owned by FedEx and the airlines, is investing in new hangar expansions that will facilitate maintenance, repair and overhaul work at the Acadiana Regional Airport and create hundreds of jobs.

Mike is excited about the diversity of new projects coming to Iberia Parish and the appeal of Acadiana to businesses looking to expand. “You can not beat Acadiana’s culture, its art and music scene, and the fact that people really want to live here shines through. Their employees will enjoy living here. When we tout this area, the culture is what makes us attractive.”

Mike wears many hats, also serving as Executive Director of the Iberia Parish Tourist Commission, and loves sharing the region’s many attractions. New Iberia was founded in 1779 by Spaniards and celebrates its unique Spanish heritage with its annual New Iberia Spanish Festival. With an award winning downtown where many local events are celebrated, it is located along the banks of the Bayou Teche. Felicity’s landing is a new draw for events to be held on the waterfront. Farmer’s markets and a new stage at the Steamboat Pavillion are also popular attractions. Conrad Rice Mill, the producer of the Konriko rice brand, is the oldest independently-owned rice mill in the United States. Jeanerette recently launched the French Bread Festival.

Mike has a podcast, The Mike Drop with Mike Tarantino, with a co-host Pat Bonin. Recorded monthly, you can find it on Spotify and learn the latest tips and trends to grow your business and learn more about why Iberia Parish is a good choice to locate.

Loreauville was recently awarded the Acadian Odyssey Monument. According to the Iberia Travel blog, “The monument is one of only two in Louisiana and 17 worldwide dedicated to those who were deported from Halifax (Nova Scotia) and scattered to various locations around the globe. Other monuments already exist in Houma, La., New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and France. According to the SNA (Societe’ Nationale de l’Acadie) website, the mandate of the Acadian Odyssey Commission is three-fold: to commemorate the expulsion and odyssey of the Acadian people, to promote awareness of Acadian history and culture, and to promote the region of Acadie. The monument itself is an homage to the perseverance of the Acadians whose tenacity and faith led them through the tragic event of the “The Great Upheaval” or as it is called en Francais, le Grand Derangement.”

For more information on Iberia Parish, visit https://iberiabiz.org/

For more information on tourist attractions, visit www.iberiatravel.com

Dreux Barra, proprietor of C’est Tout Dried Trinity Mix, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss the idea behind his product and its evolution.

A humble man who is a joy to be around, Dreux and his wife, Monique, have built a home-grown company which has unlimited potential to corner the market in the U. S. and abroad. Dreux is frugal and conservative, and pays cash for the products needed to produce C’est Tout’s wares. “There is no need to go into debt to grow a company organically,” Dreux says.

Born and raised in Lafayette near the Saint Streets area, Dreux describes himself as “Just a camp cook….not a chef.” Dreux is employed by day with Signal Security of Lafayette, a local security guard service. Monique works full-time with C’est Tout.

In the summer of 2016, Dreux found himself with way too many bell peppers left over at the end of an abundant season in his home garden. Not wanting to waste produce, he used his experience in drying beef jerky to dehydrate the bell peppers along with some onions he had on hand. He then had a revelation: there was no dehydrated Cajun Trinity product (onions, celery and bell peppers) on the market anywhere.

Experimentation and determination led to such a delicious blend of dried onion, celery, green onion and yellow onions that his friends encouraged Dreux to jar/preserve the mix to share with others. To ensure quality as he finalized the product, he asked his mom for her opinion one day as they ate lunch at a local assisted-living facility where she resided. His mom was an LSU grad who majored in Home Economics and knew a thing or two about proper balance in foods and how they should look.

Dreux’s mom’s advice ended up playing an instrumental role in the success of C’est Tout as she advised him to add red bell peppers to the mix saying, “Every food item must have color, texture, taste and you’re missing a little color. You need a little red.” Dreux says “And don’t you know, the red bell pepper adds both color and sweetness, along with improved flavor.” This also provided a different take on the offerings from the fresh “Cajun Trinity” offered by local outlets.

This beloved Cajun Trinity of onions, red and green Bell Peppers, and celery (and garlic in one version of C’est Tout) springs to life when combined with hot liquid. Four tablespoons of the trinity mix result in one cup of vegetables when one cup of boiling water is added.

With a stable shelf life of two years with no preservatives, C’est Tout is definitely a must for every serious chef’s pantry. Dreux originally offered C’est Tout at the Moncus Park Farmer’s Market in 2017, and still finds this a wonderful place to market their product.

At the taping of this show in mid-December, Dreux and Monique would be working their 47th Saturday at Moncus Park in 2023! They also participate on the first Saturday of each month at the Delcambre Farmer’s Market which Dreux says, “are real cooks who are showing up to buy the $3.00 per pound shrimp off the boat.”

Dreux never envisioned selling to local stores. He thought online and farmer’s market venues would be a dream come true. But after a visit at Heleaux’s Grocery on Verot School Road with then manager, Paul, who fell in love with C’est Tout and ordered many cases of the product, Dreux realized there was a local demand. Today, the product may be bought locally at Champagne’s Grocery, Rouse’s, Fresh Pickens, Nunu’s, Louisiana Hot Stuff, and other vendors.

99 % of online sales of C’est Tout products go outside of Louisiana. Products are particularly popular with residents of Texas, Florida, and California, and have been shipped to Portugal, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and throughout the United States. Dreux says, “There are lots of displaced Cajuns!!”

For Discover Lafayette listeners who order C’est Tout online, you will receive free shipping by using the Promo Code “Free Ship.”

C’est Tout also offers home chefs an easy way to cook gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee or other local favorites by streamlining meal prep while maintaining high nutrient quality.  Orders for packaged dried meals may be ordered at https://thisiscajun.com/.

This interview is full of witty commnts from Dreux which will entertain and also inspire you to learn more about Cajun cooking. “I have become a flour scientist. When you toast the flour for an (oil-less) roux. It wisps white vapors. It’s not just puffing the flour, its actually shrinking the gluten out of the flour.  The gluten is the bitterness of the gumbo. The longer your render, the less bitter it gets as the gluten shrinks.  By toasting the flour, we’re actually cooking out the bitterness. When you open the package and put it in the pot on your stove, the bitterness is gone.”

Discover Lafayette is proud to showcase C’est Tout Dried Trinity Mix and its newest meal packages. Thanks to Dreux and Monique Barra for their unique contribution to Lafayette and Acadiana!

Our guests are Ari Dolegowski and Jenée Naquin, husband and wife, as well as adventurers who have lived in Lafayette since 2020. The couple moved from New York City with their son, Noam, to be closer to Jenee’s family members who live in Eunice.

Jenee is a brand stylist and digital content creator with vast experience in bringing luxury brands to life through digital marketing. A native of Eunice, she graduated from Loyola in New Orleans and then moved to NYC to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She worked in corporate design, has experienced living in a handbag factory in China in order to learn the ins and outs of the accessory manufacturing process, and was part of the team that built Jessica Simpson’s iconic handbag line. After 13 years in fashion design, Jenee founded her branding company, JSQ Creative Agency, in 2017.

Ari is a Bio-Performance Therapist, offering transformative massage sessions with a tailored approach rooted in Physical Therapy and Eastern medicine through AriD Therapy & Training. He had the good fortune to apprentice as an assistant to a doctor of physical therapy and a Chinese medical practitioner. He attended traditional Chinese medical schools and studied massage therapy for a month in Thailand. A fellow who has walked an incredibly interesting life journey, Ari played pro soccer in Chile, Tel Aviv and the U. S. Along the way, he studied at Yeshiva University in Jerusalem. Ari taught high school Physical Education in New York City before settling on his career as a bio-performance/massage therapist.

Ari and Jenée met and married in NYC after their early career international travels. While they both had strong ties to New York, they had decided it was time to move in order to pursue a different lifestyle than offered by the Big Apple. Pre-Covid, they had traveled to several places looking for a Utopian site. The onset of COVID and its shutdown of city life brought things to a head, as Jenée recalled, “If you were on the 15th floor of a highrise, like us, riding an elevator was a challenge. New York became intense and nervous. Much of the population moved out and a troubled, homeless population remained….all of a sudden taking a walk to the Park to get outdoors wasn’t fun.” Ari and Jenée took out a whiteboard and listed all the things they wanted in a good place to live. Louisiana fit the bill, and particularly Lafayette, as it was close to Jenée’s family.

Ari was a bit nervous about the big move to Lafayette, in part because of mosquitoes, but also because of our very small Jewish community. “Thank goodness for the Temple Shalom in Lafayette!” About a year after the family settled in Lafayette, Ari turned to Jenée and shared how happy he was to be be here. Interestingly, Jenée also came to realize how important Judaism had become in her life. In NYC, there was vibrant Jewish community and they were surrounded by many other Jews, even sending their son to a Jewish school. She had fallen in love with the Jewish faith and lovely traditions. “It took me coming back to Cajun Country to realize that I was a Jew!” While she had initially resisted converting her faith from Catholic to Jewish while living in New York, Jenée began studying Judaism and has now converted and is an active member of Temple Shalom.

Jenée and Ari’s young son, Noam, whose nickname is “Kiki,” is also showing signs of being a creative entrepreneur. Learning how to juice satsumas and other fruits by his grandfather, Noam has made the local news several times due to the popularity of his fresh squeezed juice, marketed under the brand name Kiki’s Juice Box. “Noam is a born entertainer and this endeavor has been one of my favorite branding projects,” Jenée says. With the help of his mother, Noam has an active Instagram page which highlights his wares and he is learning how to successfully market his juice.

For photographic samples of Jenée creative work, visit https://www.jeneesaisquoi.com/ and for her professional services, https://jsqcreativeagency.com/. To schedule an appointment with Ari, visit AriD Therapy & Training or https://www.facebook.com/aridtherapy.

Adam Daigle, Business Editor of the Acadiana Advocate, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss the biggest business news of 2023.

The #1 story of the year is the incredible strides made in 2023 insofar as job creation is concerned. Iberia Parish is on fire with the recent announcement of First Solar’s $1.1 Billion investment to take place on thirty acres at the Acadiana Regional Airport. First Solar will produce high-performance photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. The project is expected to be complete in the first half of 2026 and up to 700 high-paying jobs are anticipated to be created. This enterprise is unique in Louisiana in that it is tied to a new solar training program at UL-Lafayette where students will be educated on designing solar panels. First Solar was founded in 1999 and is among the top 10 solar panel manufacturers in the world. Along with this major announcement, other large regional employers include Amazon at 1300 employees and Stuller at 1500 employees, who have both exceeded projections for local employees.

The #2 business story of the year is the large number of local restaurants which closed in early 2023, including the iconic Cafe Vermilionville, Lotus Garden, Grub Burger, The Point Seafood and Steakhouse, BJ’s Pizza, and Luna Bar & Grill. By July 2023, the number of closings had settled down.

The #3 story of the year is the shake-up at the news desk at KATC, seeing the departure of longtime and popular news anchors Marcelle Fontenot and Jim Hummel who will be joining KADN in January 2024. The move is one being conducted nationally by KATC’s owner, E. W. Scripps Co., as a cost-cutting measure. While there will no longer be live news read by anchors at the 5 pm, 6 pm or 10 pm news slots, the company will invest in more reporters to cover breaking news stories throughout the day.

The #4 story is the recently announced departure of Anita Begnaud, CEO of the Lafayette Downtown Development Authority, whose last day will be on December 20, 2023. Anita will be moving on to work with her former boss at One Acadiana, Jason El Koubi, as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Under Anita’s leadership, the DDA was instrumental in seeing the completion of a myriad of commercial projects in Downtown Lafayette which had languished for years. She brought energy and excitement to her role as CEO and will be sorely missed.

The #5 business story is the explosive growth occuring in the corridor at Kaliste Saloom Road and Ambassador Caffery Parkway, including the opening this year of Topgolf on December 15 and Dave & Busters which opened November 27. Adam says attracting these type of entertainment venues “brings Lafayette up a class, akin to going from a Double-A to a Triple-A baseball club” as it causes investors to take a closer look at our market and reexamine what is possible in the commercial realm. Other important commercial additions include the recently opened Chimes Restaurant and the development of the Camellia Blvd corridor near Verot School Road which is filling in with medical offices and a new Rouse’s, expected to open in early winter. This whole corridor is now serving as the commercial core of Lafayette Parish, is easily accessible by other towns in the parish, and is the economic powerhouse of the Lafayette community generating tax dollars that would have seemed impossible just a few short years ago. As Adam says, “Costco is a sales tax machine!”

Discover Lafayette is proud to name attorney Chris Granger as the recipient of our third annual Business Catalyst of the Year award. The owner of Maison Title real estate closing company and Seven Oak Grand Coteau, his property investment company, Granger has invested heavily in over 300 rental homes and has also been buying up properties for repurpose such as the former Jefferson Street Pub downtown and the old Petro House in Freetown which now houses Maison Title. Straw Cover Baking Co. recently opened up their wholesale bakery and flour mill in a former warehouse Granger purchased in Freetown at 111 Monroe Street. As a young man in his 30’s, Granger is making quite a business name for himself while revitalizing downtown properties which are prime for repurposing.

Discover Lafayette would like to express our deep appreciation of Adam Daigle and the entire team at the Acadiana Advocate for the ongoing support they have given our podcast over the past few years.  

Adam publishes a business article each Monday which highlights our latest podcast guest. You can subscribe online at theadvocate.com/newsletters to receive the latest business news from the ADVOCATE each weekday.

Corey McCoy, CEO of KOK Wings & Things, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his unexpected journey into success as a restaurant entrepreneur. Growing up in a military family, he lived all over the country before moving to Lafayette to attend UL and become closer with his father. Corey served in the National Guard for six years while in school, with a top secret clearance as he worked as an Intelligence Imagery Analyst.

KOK Wings & Things was founded in 2016, when Corey, Avery Bell, Tre’Jan Vinson and Jared Johnson were Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. fraternity brothers at UL – Lafayette and living together on a shoestring while attending college.

The foursome would cook chicken wings and sauces for friends, beginning with the traditional wing recipe Corey’s dad provided them. They enjoyed hosting social events at their home to raise money for their fraternity. In order to pay for the cost of the food and supplies, they started charging for their wings. Word spread about the delicious wings and the “Kitchen on Klinton” thus began out of their home kitchen on Clinton Street.

And things went smoothly until one day, the local police came knocking on their door, informing them that it wasn’t legal to operate a commercial kitchen out of their home. They realized it was time to ‘change up’ their operations.

KOK began with an initial investment of $250 chipped in by the the partners. As Corey says, “It was everything we had!” In the beginning, the young men would put fryers in the back of a U-Haul as they went looking for customers. In time, they were ready for a food truck. Avery’s dad offered to help build a food truck on a flatbed trailer, which they found on Craig’s List. KOK would park for a few months at a time around Lafayette as they built up a dependable clientele for their wings and sauces.

As KOK became more professional, their goals for growth did also. Once they saw that they had a viable business model, they worked to scale the operations From the beginning, the four young men divided up the tasks of running the business. Corey became the CEO (even when they were still cooking in the back yard) and was in charge of organizing the overall operations of KOK. Avery was in charge of ordering food and supplies, Jared was the Chief Financial Officer, and Tre’Jan was in charge of marketing. It gave them an organized method to focus on growth. Corey credits Heidi Melancon of the Small Business Development Center for helping KOK get their first loan, get free consultations, and get their business bearing. He also credits LEDA and the UL Business school for its help for which he will always be grateful.

KOK didn’t charge sales taxes for the first two years. This turned around when Adam Curry, a CPA with Darnall, Sikes & Frederick, ordered a meal and realized that no sales tax was collected. He helped the partners get their tax and financial records in order and get their business model organized for a sustainable business model.

The Lafayette location is in the former Gallagher’s Restaurant, which property is still owned by Nidal Baldeisi. He traded free rent for a few months in exchange for the KOK partners’ working to renovate the building as they built their profits. They rented fork lifts from Lowes, got family and friends to help, and they were off in pursuit of a successful brick and mortar business.

Corey taught 8th grade history at Acadian Middle when he graduated from UL in 2016 as they built up their business. He worked until KOK turned profitable in order to ensure that he could make a paycheck. The first two years, none of the men took any paycheck from the business.

With a solid track record of growth, KOK Wings now has locations in Lafayette, New Iberia and Baton Rouge. Corey and his partners have grown their company from the grassroots level into a multi-million-dollar company with over 50 employees.

KOK Wings & Things sells much more than wings and sauces. Fried fish and small fish sliders are popular items on the menu, along with fried shrimp, and definitely worth checking out. There are 16 different sauces you can load your food with. “There are a thousand ways to eat KOK,” Corey says. KOK is also considering offering healthier options as they grow their menu.

COVID presented challenges to KOK, particularly with the skyrocketing price of chicken in 2020. The partners also pivoted by opening up a drive through during COVID, which they found much easier to accommodate than many traditional restaurants due to their experience in running food trucks. The restaurant on University Avenue in Lafayette now seats approximately 300 people with the expansion made to the back of KOK during the COVID shutdown.

KOK Wings & Things was Awarded the Young Entrepreneurial Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Louisiana District in May of 2022. 

The KOK partners are committed to giving back to our community members most in need, and whenever possible have helped organizations such as Second Harvest by supporting efforts to get fresh food to people in Lafayette’s pervasive food desert in North Lafayette. This year, they founded KOK Cares, a nonprofit foundation run by Rayna Morrison, in order to give in a more organized and sustainable manner.

In March of this year, Corey was honored as a Top 20 under 40 Acadiana Leadership recipient. He believes Lafayette should be championing our local young talented people, such as our artists, teachers, and business entrepreneurs, so that we can keep our youth here.

KOK’s partners made a deliberate decision to stay in Lafayette and has built a multimillion dollar company. Corey says, “So many young people feel they have to move somewhere else to be special. That’s a problem. Whenever you feel you have to move to be special, that’s an issue. We could have had the same mindset. But we did it right here in the backyard of Lafayette and now we can affect all these other communities. Now we get to bring a piece of Lafayette to Baton Rouge. A piece of Lafayette to New Iberia, and wherever we get to grow. That should be important to Lafayette. Much more so than how to we get all these other people to pay attention to you. It’s by championing your own people do you get other people to pay attention to Lafayette.

“We lose so many people to large cities. We say we’re fighting for our youth to stay here, but I get confused by those statements. Who are we promoting? You won’t attract young people just by landing new corporate businesses or real estate deals hoping it will get people to stay. All you’re doing with that is doing the same things the big cities do on a much larger scale…. that people are already moving to. The only way to compete is to do the things the large cities can no longer do, and that is to connect with the person inside the community. Lafayette is the perfect size city. I have lived all over the country and I love Lafayette. It is the perfect sized city. It’s not too small and it’s not too big. Individuals are still very, very important and can still make a huge impact and define what this city is. If we just spend all of our time worrying about drainage and real estate deals, we’ll be fighting for things that don’t really matter within the next 20 years. People feel they have to move somewhere else to be special and that’s a problem.”

When asked by our sound engineer, Jason Sikora, what business advice Corey would give to up and coming entrepreneurs, he said, “Learn why the rules exist, instead of playing by the rules. Because often, people play by the rules the whole time and it keeps them from being able to grow. A lot of people whose business did grow didn’t play by the rules whatsoever. It’s more about learning why the rules exist so that you can understand the principle and know when to apply the rule and when not to apply the rule. I learned so much from growing KOK out of the backyard….much more than if I had earned an MBA or had a big check to go buy a physical location. Learning the ‘why’ is the most important thing.”

For more information on KOK Wings & Things, please visit https://eatkok.com/.

Thank you, Corey McCoy, for being you, sharing your story, and making Lafayette proud alongside your partners! We look forward to witnessing continued success from you, Avery Bell, Tre’Jan Vinson and Jared Johnson!

Our guests today are Jason Stoner and Stephen Rogers, who are well-known locally for their exceptional foodie and presentation skills!

Jason and Stephen devise the menu, theme, and special tablescape (a blend of table and landscaping) in the weeks preceding each event; Jason captures the process with meticulous photography to heighten the sense of appreciation for each meal prepared with love. Jason is the chef and creator of the menu; Stephen is the master of planning the ambiance and theme of the evening and takes great care to select the perfect silverware, napkins, plates, drinkware, etc.

The couple have hosted a Sunday Dinner at 6 p.m. once each month for the past few years that began in 2017 when they hosted a special birthday supper for their family. It was such a hit their children insisted on making the dinner a weekly celebration. Over time, the event morphed into a monthly affair that is closely followed by foodies. The waiting list of people hoping to attend speaks for itself. Thousands of people watch on social media to see what unique creation and decor these two will come up with! Only a few guests are selected each month so nabbing an invitation is a fete, to say the least! Jason and Stephen have never repeated a menu or theme.

As an example, November 2023’s Sunday Dinner centered on a TexMex menu, featuring beef enchiladas on homemade tortillas and sour cream sauce, with assorted sides, all freshly prepared. The evening’s theme was Dia de los Muerxos, which originated in Mexico and is a days-long celebration in honor of family members who have passed away. The playlist was Tejano Classics on Spotify. The event was hosted in honor of Emmalyn Grace Quebedeaux, a young child who was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma cancer. The lucky Sunday Dinner guests won the privilege of attending via a raffle in support of Moving Mountains for Emmy, a go fund me fundraiser in support of the little one’s medical treatments.

Stephen spoke lovingly of the inspiration he received from his grandmother who was his ‘spirit animal,’ a flamboyant and creative woman who loved design. Her inspiration was still present whenJason and Stephen’s house sat under two feet of water after the 2016 flood; they realized that in rebuilding and reconstructing their home life, they wanted to use all of the beautiful things they had been keeping in the cabinets. They now utilize beautiful family china and glassware that they inherited from loved ones such as Stephen’s grandmother. And as Jason says, “We eat with our eyes first, so we always try to plate the meal over the top.”

Jason always tries to source food items locally whenever possible, and he mentioned his love of City Girl’s Farm‘s edible flowers, microgreens, and herbs, as well as Coastal Plains Meat Company for their outstanding selections.

Jason Stoner is well-known locally as being one of the principals behind Foodies of Lafayette alongside Heidi McDonald. Foodies of Lafayette spotlights area restaurants and culinary experiences in a positive way and will not allow negative feedback to destroy their aim of promoting local treasures. The site currently has over 60,400 active followers on Facebook and is growing exponentially each month. Jason and Heidi also launched a Foodies of Lafayette website recently where you can purchase merchandise and enjoy recipes submitted from fans.

In closing, we’d like to thank Jason and Stephen for the joy they bring to our local community. Their Sunday Dinner and love of food and beautiful design are treasures to be savored. Discover Lafayette is proud to showcase their loving contributions to our local culinary experiences.

Discover Lafayette welcomes Missy Bienvenue Andrade, CEO of the Community Foundation of Acadiana.

Community Foundation of Acadiana (CFA), founded in 2000, is a tax-exempt foundation whose core purpose is building legacies and improving communities by connecting generous people to the causes they care about. The organization focuses on the parishes of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Mary, St. Martin and Vermilion. The parish affiliates each have permanent endowed funds for their geographic region.

Missy gave great credit to Raymond Hebert, its first CEO who served until 2022, for his leadership in building an organization that is healthy and ready to move on to its next chapter of philanthropic focus in Acadiana.

As of 2022, CFA has received total gifts of $364,588,403.00 over its years of existence. Donations of all sizes are welcomed and “Donor Assisted Funds” or “Corporated Advised Funds” can be established at any level. Scholarships are also housed at the CFA. Missy explained that many times, a donor may want to make an end of the year contribution and wait until disbursing the funds until a later time; special requests and assistance from staff can help the donor make their wish come true in the timing that fits their desires. Donors can also make contributions and request that their funds be invested in the market, either under the direction of their own investment advisor or with the assistance of CFA professionals.

Missy believes an important mission of the CFA is to define how the organization may best assist Acadiana nonprofits. She looked back on 2023’s SOLA Giving Day which raised the most money ever for local nonprofits, totalling $1,829,127.00. CFA runs the back office of SOLA Giving Day which has been wildly successful over the past six years. This year Venmo and Paypal were added as payment options and this appeared to eliminated barriers to giving; CFA saw people were giving contributions in the range of $5 and $10, as well as large sums, and the event experienced the highest number of people ever giving on a single day.

CFA is entering a new phase of defining its mission. It recently hired Ekstrom, Alley Clontz & Associates (“EAC”) to assist in a comprehensive strategic plan for the organization as it determines how it can best serve Acadiana as it builds a bridge to an even more successful outreach. EAC has consulted on behalf of over 200 community foundations across the U. S. and abroad, and is a leader in its field. Rather than just studying other community foundations across the country, Missy emphasized that CFA want to ensure that our particular community needs are identified and addressed.

This is Missy’s second appearance on Discover Lafayette, as we interviewed her a few years back when she was President and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Acadiana.

For more information on the Community Foundation of Acadiana, please visit https://www.cfacadiana.org/

Heather Courville, a local entrepreneur who offers beautiful handcrafted children’s clothing and accessories through her business, Banannie Bands, joins Discover Lafayette to share her journey in breaking into the business world as a seamstress who produces heirloom items.

Heather had a booth at the Junior league’s Christmas show, Tinsel & Treasures, in September, 2023. The quality of her work, the beauty of her designs, and her endearing spirit made her the perfect guest as we enter the holiday season and people are looking for that perfect gift for a young family member.

Where did her career journey begin? A very young, divorced mom who was short on funds but rich in time, Heather took sewing classes and began sewing gifts such as burp cloths, bibs and other baby items for her daughter and friends. Her hobby turned into a career upon the encouragement of Heathe, her then boyfriend and now husband, who announced one day that he had booked her at a craft show in Breaux Bridge. He said, “I have had bought you a 10′ x 10′ tent and 6 ‘ table, here’s the date of your craft show, and you will have to fill the table with baby items.” She filled the table with headbands and burp cloths, all priced at $5.00, and the items sold out fast.

Heather made a grand total of $75 at her first show. But this young mother of a ten-month old, who was three months behind on her mortgage and about to lose her house, felt her entrepreneurial spirit lit on fire. She began booking craft shows anywhere possible every weekend….Baptist church parking lots, anywhere there was a show. Low on funds, she would buy scraps of material from Lola Pink Fabrics in Lafayette and would sew items that customers requested such as pacifier clips. She caught up on her mortgage and realized she could take care of herself and daughter.

The business has grown exponentially since its early days. And her business paid for her wedding to Heathe! And as they say, the rest is history!

Surviving the COVID shutdown was a challenge and Heather pivoted to making masks which sold at retail in Drug Emporium stores. She believes that God provided for her and her business and they both have survived.

While she is not yet back to her all time high of eight employees, Heather does enjoy the help of other women who love sewing and she calls Banannie Bands a family business. Heather mentioned a former babysitter of hers…..Ms. Debbie, who makes up to 400 bibs at a time for Banannie Bands. Her mother-in-law also sews for her. Gerber baby diapers serve as the base for Banannie Band burp cloths.

Heather has never wanted a ‘brick and mortar’ store because it would be too difficult to produce enough inventory to keep the store stocked. Heather always wants to focus on custom orders that meet the needs of her customers. She brought a custom order she would be delivering after our show finished to show me a sample of her work.

Banannie Bands doesn’t sell on Amazon, but you can find creations locally at Trove & Company at 126 E. Bridge Street in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.

Annie Bannanie is the nickname of her oldest daughter, who is now 12 years, and the inspiration for her business name. Capri is her youngest daughter, four years old, and Heather still makes all of her clothes.

Banannie Bands makes clothes for newborn children to 5 years of age. Heather is especially proud of her reversible rompers which give the choice of a Halloween outfit and then flipping it inside out to show a Christmas theme.

Heather details how in the early days, she worked as a receptionist at a walk-in clinic while she was building her business as a side gig. She then worked for a beloved woman who was a dementia patient but never sewed while on the job….she always waited until her off hours to produce Banannie Bands’ crafted outfits and items. But when her patient had to move on to Assisted Living, Heather finally took the jump to supporting herself as the owner of Banannie Bands.

To find out more about Banannie Bands, visit https://www.facebook.com/BanannieBands.