New Orleans native Lauren Haydel has come a great distance since launching Fleurty Lady in 2009 from a 1,000-square-foot shotgun home on Oak Avenue. During the last 16 years, Haydel has grown her extensively in style boutique store enterprise to 9 retail places, and he or she lately introduced the largest funding but for her model that may proceed to construct her firm for the long run.

Haydel will buy the 5,000-square-foot constructing at 3212 West Esplanade Ave. (close to the nook of Causeway Blvd. and West Esplanade Ave.) to relocate Fleurty Lady’s Lakeside Plaza location in Metairie.

Haydel stated plans are to renovate the constructing over the subsequent yr and transfer in by 2027 when her lease ends at 3313 Severn Ave. within the Lakeside Plaza strip mall. The 3212 W. Esplanade Ave. constructing was owned by brothers Cory and Blaine Strander, who closed their Metairie location of Double M Feed Backyard & Pet Provide, however proceed to function storefronts in Harahan and Terrytown, in addition to a multi-state feed manufacturing enterprise. The constructing is underneath contract and the transaction is scheduled to shut Jan. 5, 2026.

Fleurty Lady has occupied the Severn Ave. location for 13 years, and the transfer will roughly double the Metairie retail area. Haydel stated rising rents precipitated the Fleurty Lady founder and proprietor to start trying upwards of a yr in the past for industrial area options in Metairie.

“The rising rents there should not permitting us to remain worthwhile in the long run,” she stated. Thus, Haydel was “excited when this good location and stand-alone retail area turned accessible, and this transfer will truly value us much less in the long run.”

“This constructing has not been accessible for 30 years since I’ve been in highschool, and when it got here in the marketplace, I jumped on the alternative,” stated Haydel, who will personal the buildings at 5 of her places following this acquisition. “That is the proper location sitting across the nook from the place we at the moment are. Will probably be our greatest retailer with our greatest in-store expertise – a subsequent degree, Tremendous Fleurty Lady – and safe us in Metairie for the lengthy haul.”

Haydel added: “I’m excited the property goes from one native small enterprise to a different, and that’s a testomony to our group that strongly helps small companies.”

Metairie-based Mouton Lengthy Turner Architects will lead the design of the brand new location. MLT has labored with nationwide manufacturers: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Arby’s, and Starbucks; and native manufacturers: New Orleans Unique Daiquiris, Café du Monde, New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood, Port Orleans Brewery & Faucet Room, in addition to Copeland’s eating places.

“I’m channeling Al Copeland; this retailer goes to be Fleurty Lady’s legacy,” stated Haydel.
Along with nearly doubling the retail area, Haydel stated preliminary visions of the brand new location embody a entrance of the home duplicate of her household’s Oak Avenue shotgun house the place she began her enterprise; a room to characteristic and assist native entrepreneurs and small makers to assist them change into extra seen; and area to host workshops for the group. There will even be a stand-alone car parking zone, versus the shared car parking zone on the Severn Avenue location.

“We can have extra retail area, service extra clients, and interact extra with the group,” Haydel stated. “We’re excited to develop, and we’re grateful to our many shoppers through the years who’ve helped us get so far in our journey.”

Haydel stated Fleurty Lady is having a document vacation season, and among the hotter ticket gadgets on the New Orleans-themed attire and items retailer embody snow-themed ornaments; a Sneaux Day in New Orleans e-book of pictures with pictures by Dustin Hughes; and “It was uncommon; I used to be there” snowman T-shirts; all to commemorate the uncommon snow day in New Orleans in January 2025.

Themes are widespread at Fleurty Lady; in fall 2024, Haydel accessorized her shops with Taylor Swift album-specific decorations and offered varied Swift merchandise – Swiftie headbands, Tayvis candles, books, sun shades, necklaces, and so forth. – to welcome the worldwide celeb pop singer and the numerous followers that visited for 3 live performance nights in October in New Orleans.

“Final yr, it was Taylor Swift. This yr, it was snow. I’m wondering what 2026 will likely be.”
Fleurty Lady’s places embody 617 Chartres St. within the French Quarter; 3137 Journal St. in Uptown; 3313 Severn Ave. in Lakeside Plaza; 2881 Hwy. 190 in Mandeville; 923 Metairie Street in Outdated Metairie; 1130 Huey P. Lengthy in Outdated Gretna; Gate C8, Concourse C within the Louis Armstrong New Orleans Worldwide Airport; 3622 Authorities St. in Baton Rouge; and 216 Foremost St. in Bay St. Louis, Miss.