Coffee house, $6M event center to open in Lacassine
LACASSINE — Louisiana Spirits and Bayou Rum unveiled their new coffee house and event center to the public Tuesday.
“Bayou Rum has set the bar for economic development and tourism in Jeff Davis and Calcasieu parishes,” Jeff Davis Parish Economic Development Director Marion “Butch” Fox said.
Louisiana Spirits, the largest privately owned rum distillery in the U.S., produces Bayou Rum products at its facility in Lacassine and is known worldwide, Fox said.
“You don’t go anywhere where you don’t see it on the shelf,” she said.
The new coffee house and $6 million event center will expand on the product name and open the area to “a lot of activity,” she said.
Bayou Rum Master Distiller Jeff Murphy said the coffee house and event center are the “first of many phases and expansions to come.”
The coffee house, known as Cafe du Bayou, is located in a two-story 1903 farmhouse, which was moved to the site from nearby Iowa and remodeled.
Although the coffee house is located adjacent to the distillery, no alcohol will be served there. The coffee house will offer gourmet coffee and pastries in a family-friendly atmosphere with inside and outdoor seating for 38.
The 4,300-square-foot event center, which will be located to the west of the gift stop, will include a catering kitchen, event space, barrel storage area, restrooms and a courtyard with outdoor stage. A local artists gallery is also planned.
“This is another big giant step for Jeff Davis Parish,” Murphy said. “We are looking forward to opening the event center by the end of May.”
The center will be available for rent for weddings, wedding rehearsals, corporate events, seminars, retirement parties, graduation parties, and other events with film and music capability.
Future plans include concerts and art festivals.
The space will include seating and tables for 300-400 people.
A 1,500 storage barrel library will display Bayou Rum products, doubling the facility’s current barrel capacity, Murphy said.
“This facility is going to be very flexible and provide a multitude of events,” architect Randy Goodloe said.
Bayou Rum Managing Director Filipe Carvalho said the distillery wants to become a part of the community and offer things for families.
“We want to bring a bit of life to the distillery and local culture to the area,” Carvalho said. “We want to offer something unique to the area.”
Pat Williams Construction of Leesville is the project contractor.
A $6 million event center is under construction as part of the expansion at the Louisiana Spirits and Bayou Rum facility in Lacassine. The 4,300-square-foot event center will include a catering kitchen, event space, barrel storage area, restrooms, a courtyard with outdoor stage and local artists gallery.
A $6 million event center is under construction as part of the expansion at the Louisiana Spirits and Bayou Rum facility in Lacassine. The 4,300-square-foot event center will include a catering kitchen, event space, barrel storage area, restrooms, a courtyard with outdoor stage and local artists gallery.