Vanessa Lewis, who is better known locally as The Louisiana Mermaid for her costumed appearances at area pools, has acquired Rent A Princess from the LSU student who founded it last year.
Financial details of the deal, under which Lewis is taking full control of the Rent A Princess inventory and operations, were not disclosed. Lewis is renaming the business Petite Princess Company, but says the business will effectively remain the same. Rent A Princess was founded by Reagan May and there are currently seven part-time employees who dress up as princesses for hire at local events.
Lewis met May last year after the who worked at a children’s event together; May as a princess and Lewis as The Louisiana Mermaid. Lewis is also an adjunct professor at LSU in the Manship School of Mass Communication, and says she and May often discussed marketing and growth opportunities for their businesses.
“I knew from the very beginning that Reagan had a fantastic concept. I was thrilled to watch her run with it and grow this company,” Lewis says in a news release. “When she made the decisions to sell, I felt like it was an opportunity I could not pass up.”
May decided to sell the business after graduating from LSU this month and opting to return to her home state of Nevada.
Lewis says she intends to hire additional employees, as well as increase marketing and advertising, to further the growth of the business.
