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Picnic Company seeks rezoning at 524 Front Street to add wine sales and evening tastings
Summary
Owner Laurie Berry told the council she plans seating and bottle sales at the Picnic Company's new Front Street location and aims to open in early June pending permits; council introduced the rezoning ordinance and scheduled a future public hearing.
NATCHITOCHES, La. — The council introduced an ordinance on April 14 to rezone property at 524 Front Street to permit a deli/restaurant operation that would sell bottles of wine and hold occasional wine tastings.
Laurie Berry, owner of Natchitoches Picnic Company, told the council the business opened in 2021 and moved downtown to Church Street in 2023; the business is now outgrowing its space and plans to relocate to the former Dickens & Company building at 524 Front Street. "We will have seating. Finally, we've been grab-and-go since COVID when we opened. So we will have tables and chairs," Berry said. She described the operation as a deli and catering business with picnic-style sandwiches, soups and salads; she said the new location would allow limited evening events (private events) and extend hours modestly to about 7 p.m.
Berry said the business wants to add bottled wine for picnic baskets and hold wine tastings in the evenings. She said the target opening date is June 1 "but as you all know, permits sometimes take time. Working on it." The rezoning application was recommended for approval by the planning commission on April 1 and the council read the ordinance for introduction; a public hearing and final vote will occur at a later meeting.
The council did not take a final vote on the rezoning at the April 14 meeting; the ordinance was introduced for public hearing at the scheduled next meeting.
