Fleurty Girl Coming to Bay St. Louis

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breaking news  in the ​Shoofly Magazine

One of the hottest entrepreneurs in the South has chosen Bay St. Louis as the next location for a new Fleurty Girl shop, slated to open in early 2020.

-  by Lisa Monti from Lisa Monti's Notebook
photos by Ellis Anderson

Fleurty Girl founder Lauren Haydel can’t imagine opening one of her New Orleans-centric shops in a market that doesn’t have a connection to her hometown. “And I can’t replicate it unless I truly have a love for the place,” she said. 
 
Lauren is so fond of Bay St. Louis that she and her family recently bought a house here, and a small office building at 201 Main Street. 
 
On Monday, Fleurty Girl closed the sale on 216 Main Street. That historic building currently houses California Drawstrings, another women-owned, New Orleans-born business (CD owner Linda Keenan will remain at this until the end of the year). ​

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“It’s always good for a city when people fall in love with it and want to live there and open a business,” Haydel said. 
 
Bay St. Louis will be the eighth Fleurty Girl location and the first outside Louisiana. Opening is set for fall of 2020.
 
Fleurty Girl is known for New Orleans-inspired merchandise that  includes clothing for the whole family, home accessories, gifts and jewelry tied to Mardi Gras, the Saints, seafood and other local iconic connections.

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Lauren Haydel photo courtesy Fleurty Girl

Lauren was a single mother of three when she used a $2,000 tax refund to get her online t-shirt business off the ground. Now she has locations in New Orleans, Mandeville, Kenner, Metairie and Gretna.
 
Lauren said Cicada, a New Orleans architecture firm, is working on plans to renovate and improve the retail space as well as the two residential units in the building. Lauren says she’ll also have a "she shed" on the property to use as a pop-up venue.
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Haydel joined in last Saturday’s annual Witches Walk festivities, which drew hundreds of costumed celebrants to Old Town’s shops, restaurants and bars.

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The 5th annual Witches Walk charity event in Bay St. Louis on Saturday, Oct. 19, registered nearly 400 witches, including Fleurty Girl owner Lauren Haydel.

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“It was awesome,” she said, adding that the new Fleurty Girl will be another draw for Old Town events. “I can’t wait to be a part of that,” she said.
 
Fleurty Girl will have six employees at the Main Street store. Anyone interested in applying can send an email to hireme@fleurty.net. Put BSL in the subject line.

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Editor's note:  While the California Drawstrings location on Main Street will close after the first of the year, the flagship location that’s been operating at 812 Royal Street in the French Quarter since 1984 will remain open.  

California Drawstrings owner Linda Keenan says she's going to take some time off to travel after the first of the year, but after that, she'll be considering opening a smaller location in the Bay-Waveland-Pass area.  

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Veteran reporter Lisa Monti writes and edits for the Shoofly Magazine, and also maintains her own blog!  Check it out and sign up here. 

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