Will Edwards, owner and founder of Kolache Kitchen, announced the closure of all company-owned locations on Wednesday. A privately owned location on Airline Highway near Highland Road, owned by Ryan “Bucky” Kase, will remain open.
The kolache restaurant brand, founded in 2013 off of LSU’s campus, operated locations in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Key West, Florida.
“Given the last two years of the business climate, it’s made it tougher for us, especially with the expansion to Florida,” says Edwards, noting the summer season is also slower for the business. “It’s been tougher than usual the last two years, and it just didn’t work out.”
|
|
|
Edwards says he plans to stay in the food service industry, but that for the immediate future, he plans to spend time with friends and family.
|
|
|
Edwards, a Houston native, started the Kolache Kitchen concept at LSU Innovation Park and opened his first brick-and-mortar restaurant off of LSU’s campus in 2013. Edwards expanded the concept outside of the Capital Region in 2018 with a New Orleans location and entered the Florida market with two locations in 2022.
Last year, Edwards closed his longtime Bocage location and a local supplier later told WBRZ-TV that Edwards owed him more than $10,000 in unpaid invoices for boudin. Edwards told Daily Report yesterday that he does not comment on private business contracts publicly, but that the allegations in the WBRZ-TV article were inaccurate.
This story originally appeared in a June 6 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.