Sweet Baton Rouge opened its new location this summer, and it is everything you would imagine.
The brightly lit, industrial-style shop is like a candy store for fashion enthusiasts. Tall, white shelves are stocked with Louisiana-inspired T-shirts in every color. The tables and countertops are filled with locally made goods by makers like Aline Moreaux Prints and Design and Kismet Cosmetics.
From the yellow Sweet Baton Rouge neon sign on the back wall above a cozy lounge area to the chic, gold sputnik-style chandeliers, it’s the small details that bring the shop to life.
For Sweet Baton Rouge owner Meredith Waguespack, this is the store of her dreams.
Waguespack launched Sweet Baton Rouge as a T-shirt company in 2010. Since then, the business has evolved into a clothing, accessories and gifts brand that hosts events, fosters community and connects local businesses. Before opening the flagship store at Electric Depot in August, Waguespack had an office and showroom on Bricksome Avenue for five years.
As the brand continued to grow, the Louisiana native wanted a space that was easy to find and had a community feel to support her events.
Owner Meredith Waguespack. Courtesy photo
Sweet Baton Rouge at Electric Depot
“I really fell in love with the historical building,” Waguespack says. “I could visualize what the store was going to look like immediately. You know how when you know it’s home, it’s home? That’s kind of how I felt.”
Now, Sweet Baton Rouge is bigger than ever before. The shop stocks everything from candles and bath bombs to bell-bottom jeans and festive earrings. It’s the go-to spot for all things purple and gold. LSU T-shirts, Tiger pins, gold skirts—you name it.
Waguespack has a bright future planned for the space, with a wall of pelican art by local artists in the works.
Her brand extensions like Lagniappe Box, a Louisiana-centric subscription box; Sweet Baton Rouge Insider, a Baton Rouge blog; and Don’t Stop Just Geaux, a local fitness group, are still active. Waguespack plans to use the new shop as a main hub for all of the brands’ events and meet-ups.
“We’re excited (even through this pandemic) to be able to open our doors to customers, be a place they can shop Louisiana T-shirts and Louisiana local makers’ products,” she says, “and hopefully have a fun place to hang out for some of our local events.” sweetbatonrouge.com
This article was originally published in the October 2020 issue of 225 Magazine.
