When I was in grade school I spent my Thanksgiving vacations working on my uncle’s sugar cane farm on Bayou Sale in St. Mary Parish. I have many fond memories from the time I spent there, but one that will always stand out is our daily trips to The Store, a little country grocery store that served as a gathering place for all of the area farmers to get out of the field for a while to have breakfast and lunch. I met some interesting characters there and overheard some colorful conversations (some maybe too colorful). After being flooded in hurricanes Lily and Rita The Store never reopened, but it is a place I will never forget. I hope The Store I have created can become a place for New Orleanians to gather, get out of the field for a while, have breakfast or lunch, and maybe even some colorful conversation.