Baton Rouge residents now have the opportunity to enjoy kolaches, a Texas breakfast favorite, at University alumnus Will Edwards’ newly opened restaurant, The Kolache Kitchen.
The Kolache Kitchen, located at the corner of Nicholson and East Boyd drives, had a soft opening Saturday. The restaurant has free Wi-Fi, a drive-thru, and Community Coffee alongside various breakfast items on the menu.
The Kolache Kitchen will hold a grand opening in the coming weeks.
Edwards conceived the project after noticing a lack of breakfast restaurants near campus.
“It was a perfect product to bring to Baton Rouge,” Edwards said. “There is no breakfast competition in Baton Rouge.”
The Kolache Kitchen will primarily serve kolaches, a breakfast pastry typically the size of a hot dog bun, popular in portions of Edwards’s home state of Texas.
Edwards received help in his endeavor from the Louisiana Business and Technology Center, a small business incubator that serves as an outreach program and provides different services to help more than 200 businesses each year. The organization is affiliated with the University, but self-generates funding through various companies. Services are also free to the organization’s clients.
The LBTC also has an innovation park located on the University’s campus to serve as an office space for clients, said Charles D’Agostino, LBTC founder and executive director.
“We do everything to ensure they become a successful business,” D’Agostino said.
The LBTC services range from helping with paperwork, loans and investors to finding suitable locations for a business. The LBTC maintains relationships with clients to provide help whenever it is needed.
D’Agostino said those who work through the LBTC are “clients for life.”
“[Edwards] came to us with an idea,” D’Agostino said.
From there, the LBTC helped Edwards develop a viable business plan out of his idea, turning it into a reality.
“I don’t think I would have been able to do it without them,” Edwards said. “… They helped me get connected with Cracker Barrel gas stations, and Mr. D’Agostino called them and told them he had a client trying to release a new product, something out of the ordinary.”
As a result of D’Agostino’s recommendation, Edwards found the current location for his restaurant.
Edwards said any new entrepreneurs hoping to start a small business should seek advice from the LBTC; however, he advised that interested parties be serious and willing to put forth great effort.
Edwards said he hopes students enjoy his restaurant and it becomes a place where they can study during their free time.
Hours of operation are tentatively set from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m., but are subject to change.
What’s a Kolache?
A kolache (pronounced kuh- LAH-chee) is a breakfast pastry typically the size of a hot dog bun, popular in Texas. It can be lled with “all kinds of meats and cheeses, wrapped in soft sweet dough and baked fresh every day,” according to Edwards.
Where can you find one?
The Kolache Kitchen is located at the corner of Nicholson and East Boyd drives. Hours of operation are tentatively set from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m.
