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HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO THIS STORE IN BATON ROUGE?The Insite is very saddened to learn a long time business I frequented in Baton Rouge, Louisiana has shut down.
That business is Latil Stationery. It has been located in the downtown area on Third Street for more than 30 years.
The store provided everything from engraved wedding invitations to personalized napkins for your dinner table.
When I drove by the store Friday night I noticed it was shut down.
There was a banner in the window thanking customers for their support over the years.
However, that message did not indicate why the owners decided to close the store.
I also did a Google search and was unsuccessful in finding a reason for the closure.
But one thing is clear, the store that was Kinko's before Kinko's is now gone for good!
Hi, Mr. Carey! I found this article at WAFB.com posted December 2009 (it really doesn't say exactly WHY it closed but from what I gather, it may be an economy thing):
ReplyDeleteDecember 4, 2009 - "Latil Stationery"
A display of Christmas cards is a common sight this time of year. But on Third Street this month you can see Father's Day, Saint Patrick and Halloween cards. Latil Stationery has them all up for grabs and marked down. Claude Latil opened the store in 1933. It's been in the family for 76 years. And now it's Claude's granddaughter's sad duty to close it down.
"This was a fun place," says Gay Boudreaux. "We sold candy and chips and cold drinks, and when you had to get out of the office, you couldn't stand it anymore, they'd come read funny cards and visit with us, and we've made many, many wonderful friends over the years. So, yes, it will be sad."
Back in the 1930s Claude Latil's sales rep was J.C. Hall, who later found fame and fortune by creating Hallmark Cards. Latil then made history by becoming the first Hallmark store in the south.
The store turned a nice profit well into the 1960s. Then downtown Baton Rouge started to change. Merchants went to the suburbs, and took the shoppers with them.
Gay says, "I try not to think about it, try to keep busy, but this has been my life. I've been born and raised downtown, and I'm kind of sorry to see it going in the direction that it's going. I think we need to have a complete downtown. I think we do need more retail."
After the landmark store closes, Gay Boudreaux plans to continue her popular line of personalized wedding invitations.
Gay says there are only four retailers left downtown. Soon there will be only three. Latil will be missed--by far too few.
I also found this youtube video that goes along with the story. Sorry, I couldn't email it to you.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFurwLDfKBs
Thanks a lot - that was an eye opener and sad too!
ReplyDelete