Lexus and Jacob Chatagnier are expanding their family farm into a brick-and-mortar community market in Prairieville. Their plan: to make locally produced food and handmade goods available year-round in a single location.
The family plans to open the 1,300-square-foot Chatagnier Community Market on Airline Highway in the former Platinum Dancewear space on Aug. 1 as the first phase of a broader concept that will eventually include a commercial kitchen and expanded fresh food offerings.
The idea grew out of challenges the family encountered after purchasing a 12-acre farm in 2023. Lexus Chatagnier tells Ascension Business Report that they envisioned hosting pop-up markets on the property but were unable to do so because of zoning restrictions. They also found themselves traveling throughout south Louisiana to source products from different farms.
“We would drive to Ethel to get beef and we go to Livingston for pork,” she says. “I just wanted a one-stop shop to get all of these items.”
The market will focus on products sourced from local farmers, food producers and artisans. Phase one will feature dry goods such as locally produced rice, seasonings, jams, honey and noodles, along with beef, pork, milk, and handcrafted products. Fresh produce and baked goods will be added in phase two, after the family converts an existing storage room into a permitted kitchen space equipped with sinks, prep space, and cooking equipment. Chatagnier said she hopes that expansion is complete by the end of the year.
Interest from local vendors has exceeded expectations.
The market has approved 60 vendors from more than 200 applications and will spend the first two weeks of July organizing displays before opening.
“My goal is to have more of a grocery store,” Chatagnier says, adding that vendors will determine how much shelf space they need while using a point-of-sale system that allows them to track sales and inventory in real time.
The market is located between Prairieville and Gonzales, a corridor Chatagnier believes offers convenient access for commuters and families.
“It helps anybody who really wants fresh foods, for people who can’t afford to go buy half a cow, and to still know where their food is coming from, and be able to just get it all in one spot,” she says. “They do not have to go find the farmers market at 9 a.m. every Saturday.”
Looking ahead, she hopes strong community support will allow the business to outgrow its space within a year. Chatagnier says the market has a two-year lease in the building.
“A year from now, I hope that we are looking into a bigger location,” she says. “I would like to be the size of, let’s say, Dollar General or something.”
