Discover Lafayette

By: Jan Swift
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  • Summary

  • The Gateway to South Louisiana
    Discover Lafayette©
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Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
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Episodes
  • Zoosiana’s Director – Matt Oldenburg

    Zoosiana’s Director – Matt Oldenburg
    Dec 20 2024
    Matt Oldenburg, Director of Zoosiana, is our guest today. The zoo has been a family passion for years, as it was originally purchased by Matt's father, George Oldenburg, in 2002, after a successful banking career. George transitioned into zoo ownership to pursue his love for animals. Over the years, Matt took on a leadership role, managing the zoo's operations and its expansive collection of over 1,000 animals spanning 150 species.​ Never dreaming he would run the zoo, Matt majored in wildlife biology, as well as marketing and management. Matt Oldenburg at Zoosiana. Zoosiana, one of the few privately owned and accredited zoos in the U.S., is known for its education and memory-making opportunities, community engagement, and family-friendly attractions. It features animal shows, a petting zoo, a Louisiana swamp exhibit, and unique animals like golden-striped Bengal tigers, giraffes, and exotic birds. Incredibly, the zoo emphasizes draws over 150,000 visitors annually.​ The zoo will be 33 years old in 2025, and getting to that stage where it can become a legacy for our local families. As young children visit with their families, Matt says, "Hopefully one day they will come with their own children and maybe their grandchildren, and they make these memories. Perhaps taking a family photo by the same live oak tree that they took a photo in front of 20 years earlier. I think that's a very special attribute. It adds to our efforts to connect the community with the zoo. Ownership has never been front of mind for us. We believe that we are the stewards of the zoo and of the animals on behalf of Acadiana's children. Everything we do there is for the children, to be an education-based program and make an opportunity to create a lifelong memory of connecting you with an animal on some level." Zoosiana is located on a 45-acre piece of property in Broussard at the corner of Ambassador Caffery and Highway 90. It is privately owned and self-sustaining and with no outside funding coming into the zoo. "There was no life plan to land at the zoo. We never had unusual pets growing up, just a dog and a cat. But, I was excited about the zoo from day one with dad. Not every day has been fun or easy. But I think very quickly I realized that if I could pick one thing in life, I would probably pick what he was doing at the zoo." The zoo is busiest in the springtime and in the comfortable October season. "With a thousand animals to care for each day, no two days are alike," says Matt. "We go through quite a bit of food and, and we order our produce, fruits and veggies from the same vendors that restaurants and cafeterias here in Lafayette order from. Its not second choice. So it's fresh produce and fresh vegetables of of a quality that you would be happy to have on your own dinner plate." Matt further stated, "We've got an animal care team who do a phenomenal job of providing the daily care and maintenance, which include feeding, cleaning, health checks, and monitoring. Enrichment is a very big part of what we do. We want to make sure our animals have a stimulating environment that they're able to utilize and practice their natural behaviors. And it could be leaping from one perch to the next or figuring out a puzzle feeder of some kind. We do enrichment with smells, olfactory sound, and visual." Zoosiana has particular meal plans for their various animals, and a recipe book for the different meals that lists everything that the animals can have and what they cannot have. With so many different omnivores, herbivores, and carnivores, you can imagine the varying diets from species to species. Matt says, "It's thousands of pounds of food a week. We've got dry grain. We've got raw meat for the carnivores. the giraffes get gallons of grain a day. And we serve alfalfa hay, any type of hay or grain that you can think of we probably have at the zoo. Giraffes are very popular and the tallest land animal.
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    51 mins
  • Acadiana Advocate Business Editor Adam Daigle Shares Biggest Business News of 2024

    Acadiana Advocate Business Editor Adam Daigle Shares Biggest Business News of 2024
    Dec 13 2024
    Adam Daigle, Business Editor of the Acadiana Advocate, discusses the biggest business news of 2024 in this episode of Discover Lafayette. We want to thank the Advocate for highlighting our latest podcast each week in their online Business Section. You can subscribe online at theadvocate.com/newsletters to keep up with our community’s latest business headlines. The # 1 story in 2024, without a doubt, is the announcement that Buc'ees will be opening at the northeast corner of Louisiana Avenue and Interstate 10. Rumored for years, this will be a major draw for motorists traveling along I-10, and most of the sales taxes paid will be collected from out-of-towners. When people travel, Buc-ees is a destination as well as a place to fill up the tank. The new site is projected to be a 74,000-square-foot building, complete with gas pumps and nearly 700 parking spaces, and the store is estimated to be a 13-month build, opening during the 2025 holiday season. The closest Buc-ees to Lafayette is either Alabama or Baytown, TX, so Lafayette can anticipate a heavily-trafficked spot for people looking for that golden Buc-ees' experience. I talked to a convenience store analyst, and he said, "Buc'ees takes everything you hate about traveling and removes it and replaces what you love about traveling. You want to stop there because you'll never wait in line for a gas pump. You want to go there because you know the bathroom is clean. You want to go there because they've got unique snacks and not Cheetos that every other place has. You get a brisket sandwich or a hot dog with the gas station. They've just flipped the whole concept on its head." There's a Tax-Increment Financing ("TIF") district already in place that dates back to when Stirling Properties originally built the Target Shopping Center across I-10 from where Buc-ees will be located. At the time, there was no water or sewer lines and the project was only feasible with this type of government assistance to cover the massive infrastructure needs. The TIF was paid off quicker than anticipated and is still in play today. To accommodate the Buc-ee's deal, a subdistrict was created, which will tax 2% of all sales, including gasoline purchases. While some question the need for TIF districts, this is a trend that has been taking place all across the U. S., and it is a negotiating tool that jurisdictions utilize to attract big business such as Buc-ees, Bass Pro, and other large retailers. As Adam says, "That is what you do to land the big boys. You got to pay for it." The # 2 story is the passing of Richard Zuschlag, Chairman and CEO of Acadian Companies. When he started his business in the early 70s with Roland Dugas and Richard Sturlese, funeral homes were dispatched to pick up people who were ill, and they were transported in a hearse. This was the era prior to ambulances and the trio identified a huge gap in the healthcare market. Zuschlag was the driving force in the company's growth, and he was also literally a driver of an ambulance in the early days. He attended all of the police jury and city council meetings to meet with people and get agreements signed. Acadian Ambulance would hold membership drives that ran on television, where people paid a fee to ensure that an ambulance would pick them up. Over the years, Zuschlag became the principal behind Acadian and the company experience extraordinary growth, opening up it National EMS Academy, Acadian Total Security, Air Med, Safety Management Systems, Executive Aircraft Charter Service, and Acadian Health (home healthcare services.) The late Richard Zuschlag, who founded Acadian Ambulance and served as Chairman and CEO of Acadian Companies. Today, Acadian Companies is an employee-owned company with 5200 employees in four states. Zuschlag's memory lives on through his family, and his son, Blaise, serves as Executive V. P. and Chief Administrative Officer. The # 3 story of the year is the opening of Supe...
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    49 mins
  • Sweet Envie’s Mel Haynes – Entrepreneur Offering Sweet and Savory Delights with Love

    Sweet Envie’s Mel Haynes – Entrepreneur Offering Sweet and Savory Delights with Love
    Dec 6 2024
    In this episode of Discover Lafayette, we feature Mel Haynes, owner and proprietor of Sweet Envie, a delightful bakery and deli located at 4302 Moss Street in North Lafayette. Mel brings a beautiful sense of joy and humor into our world and shares her inspirational story of becoming a successful business owner who follows her instincts. Since opening in 2021, Sweet Envie has become beloved for its heavenly pastries, confections, and a menu that caters to both sweet and savory cravings. Mel’s journey is one of passion, resilience, and community, as she found and followed her calling after a career in corporate management. A graduate of the Accelerate Northside Program, Mel transitioned from her management role at Acadian Companies to entrepreneurship, fulfilling a dream that began as a conversation with her late husband as to what her future would hold. Inspired by her mother’s talent for baking and informed by her mom's recipes, Mel honed her craft, from decorating wedding cakes to mastering the art of petit fours. "Eventually I want to get to the point where I'm not working in my business as much. If my seven year old Samuel has an event at school. I don't have to ask anybody if I can go. I don't have to say, mother, may I? I'm going. so that's freedom. That feels so good that I can just say, you know what? The kids have something going on. I'm one of those moms that’s involved. If the teacher calls me, I'll be there in a second. I'm going to make sure that it's wonderful. Whatever I need to do for my kids. They are my first priority because if it weren't for them, I don't know where I'd be. I'd probably still be working another job, but being able to wake up and go to work and show my daughter, my 12 year old daughter. You know what? If you decide one day you want to run your business, you can run your own business." Today, Sweet Envie offers not only baked goods but also a retail baking supply store and catering services, bringing smiles to clients throughout Acadiana. Sweet Envie won accolades in 2024 for Gold Best Deli, Bronze Best Bakery, and Silver Best Dessert in the Acadiana Advocate's Acadiana's Choice Awards. Highlights from the Conversation: The Spark: Mel shares how her passion for baking was ignited while creating her "huge castle" wedding cake with her mother and later through baking for coworkers. Leap of Faith: Following the loss of her husband and with a newborn on the way, Mel took a chance on herself, joining the Accelerator Northside program to gain the tools needed to launch Sweet Envie. Challenges & Joys of Entrepreneurship: Mel discusses the highs and lows of running a business—from the freedom to attend her children’s events to the challenges of wearing all hats, including maintenance and accounting. Community Impact: Sweet Envie provides a welcoming space where families and children can explore their own creativity. Whether decorating cakes or learning how to fry beignets, Mel inspires future generations. Catering Services: Sweet Envie offers both savory and sweet catering options for groups ranging from 5 to 300 people, with onsite food truck services provided by Mel’s fiancé, "Big Nick." Sweet Envie Favorites: Signature cinnamon rolls Chicken salad Petit fours Fried-to-order beignets Mel credits her faith, compassion, and authenticity as the foundation of her success. She encourages listeners to embrace their dreams and let go of imposter syndrome, reminding us all that we are capable of achieving greatness. As Mel says, "You have to get out of your own way. That is a big thing that a lot of people suffer from. That imposter syndrome where you don't think that you're good enough to run your own business. You know, I saw X, Y, and Z do it. How can I do it? I'm not half as good, half as smart, half as talented. When in fact, you are just as good, just as smart, just as talented.
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    46 mins

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