Vaucresson’s Café and Deli 

Vaucresson’s Sausage Company is a third-generation business that makes authentic Creole products served in restaurants, grocery stores, and festivals throughout the New Orleans region. Since 1899, the Vaucresson family has produced their sausage products in the 7th ward of New Orleans.

First, we’d like to thank the PepsiCo Foundation for recognizing that disparities still exist for Black-owned businesses and for investing in the way forward for so many Black food service operators like us across the country.

As a small business in this region, we have felt the effects of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ida, and the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have been able to sustain the business, it has not come without challenges. Black-owned foodservice operators are the cornerstone of Louisiana’s economy. Supporting us creates a domino effect of economic impact on our families and our communities.

As we grow and scale our business, the support of the National Urban League and the Urban League of Louisiana has been invaluable.

The PepsiCo Foundation grant has been used to support the physical build-out of Vaucresson’s Café and Deli and the accounting, marketing, and other professional services needed to launch!

Vaucresson’s Café and Deli's launch is part of our growth model. Patrons can now access our signature products without waiting for the festival season. We hope that this new fast-casual model will be a cornerstone of great food and service in this community, offering poboys, gumbo, boudin balls, and some of New Orleans’ traditional plate lunches.

But we also want our space to serve as a tribute to the history and culture of our great city that can also be shared with tourists. We plan to feature key points of history and culture about the 7th Ward throughout the café. This will allow guests to learn more about our community while enjoying its rewards!

Vaucresson’s Cafe and Deli will also feature a viewing lab to showcase small-batch production of our world-famous sausage. Guests will have the opportunity to see “how it’s made” in real-time.

As an added growth opportunity, we are also planning to launch a line of condiments, creole mustard that will be found in grocery stores and shipped worldwide shortly.

The Black Restaurant Accelerator program has provided us with critical support throughout this journey. We are currently enrolled in a specialized business training program for restauranteurs, where we are getting some outstanding knowledge about launching and distributing our creole mustard line.

We are extremely humbled by the support of the PepsiCo Foundation, the National Urban League, and the Urban League of Louisiana. With it, we are inspired and motivated to grow and scale while impacting our community!

 

Akasia’s Café / Let Us Cater for You 

Akasia Lee-Nicholas is the founder of Akasia Lee Global, the umbrella brand for her companies: Let Us Cater for You Catering, her autobiography “Out of Bounds”, the professional networking organization The Culinary Queens of New Orleans, and the nonprofit Carnival Krewe, Krewe of TCQNO.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Akasia built a platform to support ladies who own food and beverage brands to help them cope with the economic stress and loss resulting from the worldwide pandemic. The result? She made history by bringing forth Greater New Orleans’ first and only carnival krewe, honoring the food and beverage industry.

Akasia’s Café/Let Us Cater for You offers a full-service cafe that provides catering and an array of home-cooked soul food.

Akasia will be using the PepsiCo funds to expand her business. She plans to close in her outdoor cooking area to create more outdoor seating for customers. She will also use the funds to purchase a steam table to offer a brunch buffet and a new refrigerator cooler to expand storage.

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