In an effort to bring a traditional New Orleans-style muffaletta shop to Baton Rouge, a University undergraduate and her father opened 926-Muff on Congress Boulevard.
Leigh Ann Town, communication disorders senior, headed the marketing aspect of the shop through social media while her father Greg Town researched and created the business plan.
Since its Jan. 17 opening, Leigh Ann said customers have called the shop after trying the sandwich to praise its authentic New Orleans taste.
“We’ve only been open a week and we’ve had repeat customers multiple times,” Leigh Ann said.
Greg’s inspiration for the shop stems from past experiences with the famous muffalettas served in New Orleans.
“I always loved muffalettas and grew up getting them at Central Grocery in New Orleans,” he said.
Leigh Ann learned of muffalettas from Central Grocery as well, because her dad would often bring the sandwiches for the family.
“My dad’s been a real French Quarter enthusiast his whole life, and every time he’s down there on business he gets a muffaletta from Central Grocery and brings it home,” she said.
Greg made the decision to open a muffaletta business in Baton Rouge around August, offering the same traditional New Orleans ingredients such as Leidenheimer bread, olive salad, salami, ham, mortadella and provolone cheese, but with some noticeable differences.
“We put more meat on it and heat it. Central Grocery only does theirs cold,” Leigh Ann said.
Running the sandwich through a conveyor oven makes the bread crispy while melting the cheese onto layers of meat and olive salad below, Leigh Ann said.
Lauren Arikol, history senior and 926-Muff employee, said the muffalettas in New Orleans are “riding on tourism rather than the quality of the sandwich.”
Leigh Ann said quality of the sandwich is important.
“We sell one sandwich, so it has to be awesome,” she said.
The menu contains a whole, half- or quarter-muffaletta along with bottled drinks and chips.
The shop also delivers, extending to the 70808 area code, around campus and Our Lady of the Lake Hospital area.
While Leigh Ann is busy with the new business, she also has to focus on her last semester of school. She said students wishing to start a business while still in school should get to know their professors and classmates.
“Getting to know them is really important, and it’s great to get support,” she said.
Good communication with teachers is essential because most of them are understanding and willing to help, Leigh Ann said.
“So many of my sorority sisters have been by, and they’ve been liking it and sharing it on Facebook. The LSU community has really gotten us started. … They have helped spread the word,” she said.
Leigh Ann also advised to stay focused on school while staying organized to keep grades in check.
“I’ve had to be so much more organized than I have in the past. I have a system, and I haven’t let myself slack on anything,” she said. “School is the most important thing right now and graduating is the goal.”
Leigh Ann said she wants to run the business full time after graduation, and she and her father have aspirations of opening a muffaletta shop in the French Quarter in New Orleans.
926-Muff serves as the name and phone number of the shop and is located on 3158 Congress Blvd. Business hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven day a week.
“We have one sandwich, so it has to be awesome.”
