Queer Owned Businesses in Lafayette

Emoni Harbor attended a yoga class on a whim years ago and fell in love with the practice. She moved to New Orleans during the pandemic to find her ideal yoga community and couldn't help but notice the lack of diversity. The move back to Lafayette changed Harbor's life for the better. Instead of searching for the community she craved, she created it herself in her own studio. 

She started Zen Den with a friend in early 2021, but they ultimately disbanded, leaving Harbor as the sole owner.

"I wanted to bring more minorities into the studio and teach more authentic yoga principles," Harbor said. "A lot of higher-ups didn't think I could do it as a 26-year-old Black woman, and there were a lot of doubts. I just kept pivoting until I could prove them wrong, and here I am three and half years later, better than ever." 

Harbor has been out since high school and feels comfortable with her sexuality. At Zen Den, Harbor fosters an inviting environment by encouraging attendees and staff to be their truest selves. 

"It feels very powerful being a business here," Harbor said. "The community is growing even more than we think. I've had a rainbow flag in the front of the studio forever and never heard anything about it."

Five Mile Eatery is a beloved Lafayette restaurant rooted in a farm-to-table philosophy. Founded in 2022 by longtime collaborators Kelsey Leger and Sarah Trotter, the business began as a food co-op in Arnaudville with an ambitious commitment: to source as much as possible from within a 5-mile radius.
While their sourcing network has since expanded across the region, their mission remains the same—support small farms, operate sustainably, and serve food that’s both nourishing and full of heart.

“We compost all food waste and use a dehydrator to reduce spoilage in the kitchen,” says Trotter. “Sustainability isn’t a trend for us—it’s foundational to everything we do.”

Leger and Trotter started Five Mile to create something different: a self-funded, community-minded business where environmental ethics could remain uncompromised.

Their shared values—and deep respect for one another’s craft—have shaped a space that feels both intentional and inviting.

“We’ve worked hard to build a team and customer base that reflects what we care about: inclusivity, sustainability, and really good food,” says Trotter.

Five Mile Eatery continues to evolve, but its roots remain strong, grounded in community, integrity, and the kind of food that keeps people coming back.

Megan Arceneaux has always had an affinity for bicycles, and friends called her business savvy, so she combined the two to create Hub City Cycles. The shop opened in 2013 and continues to serve downtown Lafayette's bicycle needs today.

"I wanted to make sure everyone feels welcomed here," Arceneaux said. "Being a female, there's obstacles in that. People always look past me when they walk in; they don't know that I'm the owner. My intuition as a woman and dealing with not being seen or heard has helped me in business. I know a lot of my clientele are minorities, so I empathize with them, and I don't judge people."

Arceneaux makes every business decision with the community in mind. She treats every customer with respect and care, and she doesn't tolerate customers who don't treat her the same.

"There's an older generation that may think negatively about the gay flag we have up," Arceneaux said. "They think it will deter people's business, but I don't want their hate to mess up my environment.' I work hard to make it welcoming, so if people don't want to come in because of the flag, that's not important to me."

Like most high school seniors, Jennifer Marsh panicked when it came time to choose a traditional four-year college, technical school, or another path entirely. When a massage therapist visited her high school for a career fair, she knew she found her calling.

Although she made this choice in adulthood, she'd enjoyed playing "spa" with her friends ever since she was little. From 2014 to 2019, she worked as a massage therapist in Monroe and credits her skills to her wonderful mentor, Liz.

"I was just her sponge," Marsh said. "She poured into me, and I just absorbed it. She gave me technique, spiritual conversation, and a business savviness I don't think I would have gotten anywhere else."

When Marsh and her wife moved to Lafayette in 2019, she searched for the perfect space to replicate her time in Monroe. After a few interviews with different businesses, Marsh decided to open her own practice.

Her cousin recommended a vacant space for rent, and once Marsh found out that all the surrounding businesses were also women-owned, she jumped on the idea and Hands and Heart Holistic Wellness was born. She has been in business since 2020, and it all began with her desire to be her own boss while creating her own welcoming spa.

"We all get to be human in here," Marsh said. "The beautiful thing about that is when I live authentically and go after my joy, this space attracts the clients that are meant for the work that I do."

Krystin Dupuis-Avant saved her babysitting money to buy her first hair kit at age 17. The men in Nonnie Berard's family had long hair, so she'd sit on their shoulders and ornate their heads with barrettes and updos. The pair believe they were born with the desire to become hairdressers, and for the past 11 years, they've been making their wildest dreams into reality.

"We worked at a Thai spa before this, so we started getting different types of clientele with different types of hair," Berard said. "It was really important to us from the beginning that we could service anyone and make anyone feel at home. That has been a top priority from day one."

In 2014, they realized their dream and opened The Headquarters before moving to their new location on Madison St. location in 2018.

"It was hard for me to find work before we had our salon because I never fit in anywhere," Dupuis-Avant said. "I'm queer, and I come from a very Catholic Louisiana family, and it was really hard for me to come out. It's still a journey, and I'm almost 40 years old now. Even though I felt out of place, I met Nonnie, and she made me feel safe. She's my family and taught me not to be ashamed of my identity."

As a self-proclaimed "weirdo," Dupuis-Avant knew that if she couldn't find her ideal hair salon, she'd create it with her best friend. She attributes this to the salon's success because it now serves as a safe space for LGBTQ+ folks by asking for pronouns before a service and offering gender-neutral haircuts.

"We welcome all textures, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds," Dupuis-Avant said. "We've really become a safe hub for any human. No matter what, when someone walks in the door, they matter. We love what we do because we genuinely love the human connection."

It all began in 2008 with a candle-making kit and some humble jelly jars.

Jamie Phillips started pouring candles as a creative outlet while in college, but it didn’t take long for that hobby to turn into a passion. By 2009, he had opened his first candle shop and eventually expanded into a wholesale business, Bourbon Royalty Candle Company, which supplied his hand-poured scents to local boutiques and retailers.

But something was missing: the experience.

That’s when The Bougie Bar was born—a place where guests can create custom candles for any occasion, from birthdays and bridal showers to date nights and “just because.” With help from their Bougie Experts, you’ll choose a vessel, blend your fragrance, and pour a candle that’s entirely you. Guests also have the option to select a room spray in their preferred fragrance.

As proud members of the LGBTQ+ community, Jamie and his husband, Rusty, built The Bougie Bar to be a space where everyone feels welcome, celebrated, and safe. “We make it clear this is a safe space for everyone,” Rusty says. “If people feel safe, they’ll come back—and that’s what matters.”
The Bougie Bar opened its first location in Lafayette in 2019, followed by a second in Baton Rouge in 2022.

Morgan Angelle attended culinary school in her 20s and dove headfirst into becoming a chef. While working in New Orleans restaurants, her favorite food to make was pizza, which is when her obsession with dough was born.

She decided to switch from the frantic restaurant scene to the more peaceful life of a baker. Now, she and her wife, Dené Carroll, run Straw Cove Baking Company, an independent wholesale bakery providing bread and freshly milled flour to Acadiana.

"In my early 20s, there weren't many openly queer businesses," Angelle said. "We certainly didn't have a model to go by. And maybe that's the reason we waited until we were in our 40s to do what we do because, technically, we're playing a young person's game. We've been around the block and seen a lot of change over the years."

Angelle and Carroll work alone out of their mill, but they are expanding and hiring new team members. Their bread, which can be found at Champagne's Market, Little Veron's, Doc's Pop-in, Sandra's, Nunu's Youngsville, and Five Mile, is a two-woman show, and the pair spends hours tentatively crafting their offerings.

"I'm the one who delivers to businesses, so I'm often the first point of contact for sales," Carroll said. "We don't hide who we are in any way; it says on our website that we're married. We're here, and we make the bread. We make it clear that we're partners in business and life. So far, it's been pretty great."