New dining and entertainment spaces are now open in the North Commerce development, with more still to come
Sink your teeth into a wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza. Raise a mug of locally brewed craft beer. Hear live music at a purpose-built event center. Pick up stylish looks for the wardrobe or home.
These are among the experiences taking shape in North Commerce, a Magnolia Market-inspired project that is bringing exciting retail, accommodations, events and dining options to the historic heart of St. Francisville.
Sparked by retail anchor The Corbel on North Commerce Street, the three-acre development is now home to the clothing boutiques, Barlow Fashion and Deyo Supply Company, The Mallory event center and the luxury boutique Hotel Toussaint—businesses created by visionary entrepreneurs Susan and Don Charlet and their adult children.
Additional ventures are coming online, too, including Big River Pizza Company, a concept developed by The Myrtles/Restaurant 1796 owners Morgan and Lizzie Moss, which opened in April, and the forthcoming Bayou Sara Brewing Company, created by partners Steve and Amanda McKinnney, and Doug and Abby Cochran, which will open later this year.
“We’re really excited about having these concepts under one roof,” said Morgan Moss. “The bank is always so quick to support us. To work with a small-town bank that puts customers first is just ideal.”
Situated in the heart of town, the $10 million North Commerce development is evolving to serve both residents and the many tourists who flock to St. Francisville annually. With so much happening in one central location, it’s possible to park the car and spend the day—or weekend—shopping, dining, enjoying beautiful outdoor spaces, attending an event or show and relaxing in well-appointed accommodations.
It wasn’t hard to see the value of the project to the community, says Bank of St. Francisville President and CEO Carter Leak IV. BSF helped participating business owners secure the right lending solutions, empowering them to build or renovate, bringing defunct spaces back into commerce with designs that dovetail with the town’s historic character.
“This is great for St. Francisville,” Carter said. “It’s really a positive development for our community, and we wanted to do whatever we could do make it work.”
Center: Carter Leak IV, Ricky Sparks - Bank of St. Francisville;
Cage & John Luke Charlet - The Mallory
Right: Lizzy & Morgan Moss - Big River Pizza Company;
Melvin Harvey, Jr - Bank of St. Francisville
The Charlets opened The Mallory last fall in a building they transformed into a chic-rustic events center large enough for 1,000 people. Weddings are a natural fit for the space, says Cage Charlet, but so are ticketed music events, corporate conferences and other gatherings.
“It’s giving us a chance to draw events that might have gone to other cities,” Cage said. “The space is versatile. Even events that have around 150 people feel intimate.”
Since opening in late April, Big River Pizza Company has been serving wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizza in a welcoming, family friendly environment with dining spaces indoors and out. At the building’s rear, the Mosses have created a stylish, speakeasy-style bar named Proud Mary’s. In a space off the front of the restaurant, the beloved local ice cream and candy shop Away Down South, which closed its Ferdinand Street location during the pandemic, is open again, too.
“We’re really excited about having these concepts under one roof,” said Morgan Moss. “The bank is always so quick to support us. To work with a small-town bank that puts customers first is just ideal.”
Opening later this year in the former Ford dealership on Ferdinand Street will be Bayou Sara Brewing Company, a tap room featuring food and craft beer brewed by co-owners Steve and Amanda McKinney and Doug and Abby Cochran.
“When you look at the craft beer scene around the country, it’s surprising that St. Francisville didn’t have a tap room yet,” Steve said.
BSF provided funding to Steve and his partners using the SBA 7a loan program, which is often utilized for new businesses and startups, which requires a considerable time commitment from both parties.
“It requires a lot of patience and details,” Steve said. “The fact that your community bank is willing to do this is significant, because a national bank probably would not.”
Bayou Sara Brewing will open featuring 12 taps initially, and a menu of inventive pub fare including gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches with ingredients like pulled pork and mac and cheese, street tacos, burgers and other items.
The businesses in North Commerce will be connected by pedestrian-friendly paths and landscaping. The Charlets spent months excavating the site, building a retaining wall behind the Mallory and remediating soil on the site that had once played host to the town dump.
“We basically restored the land to what it had been 100 years ago,” Don said. “We wanted to build something really special.”
To start learning how BSF's business services can help your business grow, visit https://www.bsf.net/service/business-lending
