Orange & Peach, The New IT Couple!

What do you think about when you hear Ruston, Louisiana?  Louisiana Tech University?  T.L. James? Davison Trucking or maybe Sundown Tavern?  Well, most of you probably would say one of the above mentioned , but most would also include PEACHES!  The Squire Creek Country Club Peach Festival is held every year at Railroad Park in the hot days of June. This year marked the 62nd annual Festival and boasted a record setting crowd.

Many famous people also boast Ruston as their hometown.  Some are: Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Terry Bradshaw, Country Singer Trace Adkins, Basketball Superstar Karl Malone, and current NFL kicker & LA TECH Football Player Matt Stover just to name a few. 

So, with all that going for it, what more does Ruston need?  You guessed it, ORANGE!  Shooting for a Halloween Opening Date, Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt is set to open it's doors in Ruston to bring FREAUX YEAUX to the Peach Paradise.  Located at 1522 N. Trenton Street next to the Super One Grocery Store, Orange Leaf's location couldn't be better! "Picking the right location was very important for us," said Karen Varner, co-owner of OL Ruston.  "We knew Ruston was the right town to bring the next Orange Leaf, and once we found this location, all the pieces fell into place!" shared Varner.  The Ruston Orange Leaf will be the 12th franchised location in the state of Louisiana. 

Orange & Peach, The New IT Couple?  Come see us on Halloween and judge for yourself! (and by the way, there DEFINITELY will be PEACH and ORANGE Freaux Yeaux on hand!)

Remember

Showering, Leaf Style

It's been a veritable baby boom at Orange Leaf Louisiana as of late.  Already forming the ITTY BITTY ORANGE COMMITTEE, it seems like something might be in the Freaux Yeaux.  Since our last blog, we have had two more employees, our bookeeper, and our regional manager have the best news possible; that they are expecting!  Kathryn, our OLYLA bookeeper, whose homebase is in Lafayette, is actually expecting TWINS and has just found out that they are a BOY and a GIRL!

Kayla with a gift

Kayla, our regional manager, who started out managing our New Iberia store, is having a BOY in November.  Her faithful New Iberia LEAFERS wanted to throw her a baby shower and couldn't think of a more perfect spot than ORANGE LEAF!  Homemade Cupcakes, Cocktail Weiners, and Mexican 7 layer dip was the menu this morning as Kayla opened her presents with her faithful Leafers looking on.  For most, this is their first job, and Kayla has been a mentor to them.  They just wanted to give back.  Baby games were played and prizes were won.  It was a FUN morning and a great way to show Kayla how much she means to these kids.  The mark of a great manager is garnering the respect of your employees, and Kayla has done that and much more.  In our opinion, this is a great indication on what type of mother she will soon be!  Completely AWESOME! We can't wait for the next member to be inducted into the ITTY BITTY ORANGE COMMITEE.  See you soon, Baby Baker!

New Iberia OL Staff and Kayla at her Shower

GEAUXing to the Bayou Jamb!

Bayou Jamb 2012 kicked off this Saturday at the University of Louisiana at Monroe's GROVE.  Put on by St. Francis Hospital, the Bayou Jamb has always been a great event for families, businesses, and friends to gather together and support their local teams and spirit groups.  It's also the first chance the public has to get a look at their football team in action!  With 8 teams playing in four separate games throughout the day, Saturday was full of pep rallys, dance offs, gymnastic routines, and grid iron action.

It was also the first EVER OLYLA GEAUX event!  Being that Monroe was where it all started with the first Louisiana Orange Leaf store,  it was fitting that the GEAUX adventure began here as well.  From 11am until 8pm, Bayou Jamb attendees could get their Freaux Yeaux on at the Orange Leaf Geaux trailer.  Smiles and little shrieks could be heard over the band next door when the child passing by realized that the ORANGE trailer was actually ORANGE LEAF!  With our graphics being put on this week, there will be no mistaking what trailer this is ever again! Pictures of Yogurt, with toppings piled on high, with that unmistakable Orange Leaf spirit! Check out our ORANGE LEAF GEAUX's to the BAYOU video below.... 

Watch Geaux to the Bayou NOW!

Next up for GEAUX, UL Home game at Cajun Field this Saturday!  See you there, CAJUNS! 

HOWDY ROWDY & LegisGATOR

Handing out samples at HOWDY ROWDY

HOWDY ROWDY!  It's a day that is designed to bring the LAKE AREA businesses front and center with the McNeese Students, offering free products, employment applications, and maybe even some coupons.  And that is just what we did!  Orange Leaf Lake Charles was there with 200 samples of Dole Orange, Vanilla, Chocolate, and Pineapple Freaux Yeaux for the students to sample while they filled out applications or signed up for our email list.  All in all, it was a great event and lots of friends were made!

Dessert with a capital YUM!

Gator Butter 

Salad?

Then it was on to L'Auberge Casino for the 7th Annual LegisGATOR meeting with keynote speaker, Gov. Buddy Roemer.  In talking about how General Electric did not pay one dime of Federal Income Tax last year, he asked who we thought might be the two biggest campaign contributors in the last election?  Answer?  GENERAL ELECTRIC and GOLDMAN ("friggin") SACHS.  Needless to say, the room, full of a wide range of political beliefs, died laughing!  Several Congressmen were there as well and gave brief addresses.  It was a very informative event.  The pictures that were taken do NOT represent the importance of the  event, but BOY, the food was good! The Lake Area has a lot going its way, and Orange Leaf Louisiana is  proud to be a part of this wonderful community!    

OLYLA on the GEAUX!

Orange Leaf Louisiana is on the move again with a new venture.  This time it’s called GEAUX!  The name of the new company is OLYLA GEAUX, LLC.  We have entered the red hot food trailer market with our own mobile store concept.   The GEAUX trailer is a complete store on wheels! It is 20 feet long and  it will feature 3 yogurt machines, a toppings bar and of course disco music. It will be decorated in typical Orange Leaf fashion – lots of color, lots of Orange.  It will be impossible to miss.  It will make its debut in 2 weeks where we started it all – Monroe.  We will be one of the vendors at St. Francis Bayou Jamb on August 25 at ULM’s Malone Stadium.  This means football and freaux yeaux – our favorite combination! 

OMAHA Trailer knocked it out of the park "literally" at the
College Baseball World Series in July.

When looking at all of the festivals and sporting events in this state, it was an easy decision to move forward with GEAUX.  There are always corn dogs, lemonade, and something on a stick but never frozen yogurt and never from a brand as popular as Orange Leaf.  This will actually be the second Orange Leaf trailer to hit the scene.  The Orange Leaf group in Omaha, Nebraska debuted their trailer at the College Baseball World Series in June and it was a huge hit.  Apparently when temperatures hit 105, fro yo is pretty popular.  

The Ragin' Cajuns will get their FIRST
GEAUX trailer experience on Sept. 1st!

We are sticking with the sports theme right out of the gate with the Bayou Jamb and then we are on to UL Ragin Cajun games as part of the new emphasis on creating the perfect atmosphere at Cajun football games.  We will also be partnering with Orange Leaf stores out of state to bring our brand of fun to markets that may not be exposed to it yet.   No event will be too big or too small.  So whether its Peaches, Frogs, Crawfish, or Catfish, next time you attend one of Louisiana’s famous festivals, be on the look out for the big Orange trailer...or you can just listen for the disco music! 

Go for the GOLD (and Orange)!

Who is as excited about the OLYmpics as we are?  Get it?  "OLY"mpics? We just can't get enough of TEAM USA bringing home those GOLD medals!  From the Ladies Gymnastics team, and individual GOLD medalist, Gabby Douglas, to the diversely talented men's and women's USA swim team, with Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin each having 4 GOLD's credited to their name in these 2012 games, the USA has been well represented.  But maybe none better than in the ladies Judo contest in which, Kayla Harrison took home USA's first ever GOLD MEDAL in the event.

Overcoming a difficult past of abuse, Harrison is the picture of perseverance. For anyone who watched her medal ceremony on Thursday, it was clear what this olympic moment meant to her. She said soon afterword to Hollywood 

Kayla Harrison - USA Judo Gold Medalist

Gossip, "Kind of just reflecting back on my life.  Everything it's taken to get here, and everything I've gone through.  I'm America's first gold medalist in judo and always will be." Harrison added, "Never give up on your dreams. I mean, if I can do it, anybody can do it.  Things have happened, but now, my life is a dream.  I'm living my dream right now."

We here at ORANGE LEAF LOUISIANA hope that everyone out there is living their dream!  If you aren't, stop by one of our stores for a little Freaux Yeaux magic to get you headed in the right direction!  GEAUX TEAM USA & GEAUX FREAUX YEAUX!