A lemon lavender bundt cake from Magnolia Pantry at 219 E. Vermilion St., Lafayette, LA.
Magnolia Pantry, a bakery and tea shop, is now open for business in the newly remodeled Sans Souci building in downtown Lafayette.
The space is calm and welcoming, with ample seating and an outdoor patio next to the playground at Parc Sans Souci. Located across the street from Wild Child Wines, at 219 E. Vermilion Street, it will be an inviting destination for breakfast, lunch and even evening treats with extended weekend hours.
I enjoyed a breakfast hand pie with the perfect amount of texture, fat and salt on the crust; and a warm, flavorful filling of sausage, egg, cheese and onion (with a side of Tabasco honey.) Fans of Acadiana Slice, a fixture at markets and festivals across the region, will already be familiar with Korey Champagne's rich, expertly baked sweet and savory pies that center local flavors.
Those same fans will also be delighted to find Alexis Badon's recovery teas, lavender lemonades and brews like a lavender London Fog and the "Summer Solstice," a hibiscus, ginger, lemongrass and chamomile tea. Badon, who formerly operated at festivals and markets as Magnolia Moon Herbals, has merged with Acadiana Slice to form Magnolia Pantry, thanks to their win at last year's One Acadiana Small Business Challenge.
The challenge was designed to find a business to move into the historic building. Magnolia Pantry beat out six other finalists, mostly in the food and drink space, to gain a lease (and a capital infusion of up to $100,000) on this property located right next door to the upcoming 83-room Hotel Lafayette, which will also house Bayou Teche Brewing.
The Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority, which owned the Sans Souci building for 10 years before recently transferring ownership to the Downtown Development Authority, funded upgrades to the building, which dates to 1847 and was the site of the first post office and newspaper in Lafayette.
Magnolia Pantry co-owner Korey Champagne said that it was a lot of work getting the almost 200-year-old building ready for customers, but he's excited for what the future will hold in their new home base.
"The biggest difference will be able to serve people and get to know them in one spot now," said the pop-up veteran. "We'll be able to offer a lot more to our customers here."
Magnolia Pantry is currently in its soft open period, with regular hours. They open Tuesday through Friday at 8 a.m., and close at 6 p.m. (9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.)
Monday: ClosedTuesday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.Wednesday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.Thursday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.Friday: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The shop will hold a grand opening sometime around Labor Day, according to Champagne.