BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Many local businesses in the area rely heavily on the business that Mardi Gras brings.
From parades to king cakes to Mardi Gras balls, some carnival crews spend big bucks to have a good time. Local businesses have learned to stay prepared for king cake season.
“Once Mardi Gras was in full swing and we realized what these king cakes could do for our business, we put every resource we could into producing them. It's really exciting. It's the extra money that keeps us running smoothly and allows us to pay our employees much more than they would at other places,” said The Po'Boy in Port Allen.・House owner Chris Sanchez said:
These stores are open year-round selling regular food and party supplies, but they become very lively during the holidays, when they transition into entering the Mardi Gras market.
“It gets pretty busy, probably 80 percent busy,” explains Nelson Maddox, owner of Parties Start Here.
The reason is that the love for the parade is now widespread across the state.
“We're seeing more and more parades. They're all over Baton Rouge,” Maddox added.
Baton Rouge has become a major shopping destination for all things Mardi Gras. The reason for this is its location as a halfway point to New Orleans, which draws people from all over the world to stop here. This type of business can be life-changing for companies.
“Really supporting local, especially through the holidays, really makes a year for families,” Sanchez said.
This time of year is said to be stressful, but it's worth it to see the Mardi Gras spirit spread across the nation's capital.
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