Small business sno-balls into niche courtesy of TEDA grant

Charles Paul McCue
January 19, 2010
Jan. 21
January 21, 2010
Charles Paul McCue
January 19, 2010
Jan. 21
January 21, 2010

Small business fuels the nation’s economy, and nothing epitomizes a small business in south Louisiana more than a sno-ball stand. Brooke Carrere had no idea she would be an economic contributor when she started serving sno-balls in Houma at the age of 13. However in 2007, at the age of 27, Carrere began doing just that as she opened her own stand on the small Main and Buquet streets’ corner lot.

Carrere has successfully operated her small business for three years and is ready to expand with the help of the Terrebonne Economic Development Authority (TEDA) and Community Development Block Grants. “We want to make it a mini-paradise back here,” says Carrere, as she points to a small section of turf that runs parallel to the back of the restaurant and eventually dips into the murky water of Bayou Terrebonne. “Palm trees, a sitting area…it’ll be great.”


This week, Carrere is celebrating the grand opening of Brooke’s Sno World after being approved for a $29,000 loan by TEDA last week.


Once received, the money will help fund the expansion, which includes state-of-the-art equipment and new machines used to produce the tasty treats. At the core, Carrere will be investing about $17,000 into a new ice cream machine that sports hydraulics and is self-cleaning.

For six-and-a-half months the shop has been closed, waiting to expand in hopes of serving the area’s growing population. “We needed a bigger place. This isn’t even big enough, but we’re going to make do,” says the entrepreneur.


Along with a bigger building, Carrere will hire more hands. After the expansion she hopes to operate with about 12 workers. Quite a step up from the five she originally had. “I’ll train them all myself. That way, they can’t ever say they didn’t learn it right,” notes Carrere.


From her position outside on a set of newly built wooden steps, she darts inside.

Judging by a sheet of notes written in black marker, there are 15 steps to open the shop in the morning and 12 to close at night.


“Coming into this business you have a lot to learn. We’re not just the average snowball business, we offer so many things,” she says.


According to Carrere, it takes months to learn the ins and outs of the “sno world,” something she has been perfecting for quite a long time.

White pieces of poster board lie on the front-end counter, directly behind the window that will be sliding open to serve nearly 1,000 people a day during the summer.


But owning a business isn’t easy and the startup is just as hard.


Shuffling through papers, Carrere explains the attention to detail employees must exhibit in learning how to prepare the numerous menu items.

The stack of menus found on a neighboring counter is a mere hint at the amount of time and dedication the small business owner has put into making the shop a success. “You live it. When you run your business, you have to live it,” she says. “That’s the only way.”


Silence fills the air as Carrere reflects briefly on the question of how many hours a day she works per week. “What? Me? Sixteen times seven, 15 times seven.


“From open to close, you can’t stop,” she says eagerly. “This year I’m looking to work less, but I have to build this business back up to what it was before, or better.”

Without a hint of regret, the young owner says she loves what she does, regardless of how much she works. “I even have a nursing degree, but I’d rather do this.” Carrere then smiles at the thought of franchising operations within the year.


“It was hard in the beginning … to get on your feet and build your clientele,” she explains. “But I stayed busy, looking for new things to bring in. And really, I kept my faith.”


Pioneers of any business should stay “working,” she says. “There’s always going to be obstacles, but keep going, stay motivated and work hard. If you work hard and run an honest business, you can sleep at night.”

As for marketing? The product should speak for itself.

Over the years, the small shop has created a reputation among competitors. By adding a line of diverse and unique products, Carrere has found herself in the winner’s circle.

The growing startup has 100 flavors of snowball hoopla and a decorated menu that includes everything from fried okra to Cajun sausage. Most single menu items run under $5, with combos starting around $7. The desserts, well, use your imagination.

For any business owner, a measure of success by most means is profit.

“I make enough to pay my bills and have a little extra,” notes the owner. “I also pay my workers well, because without them, I’m nothing.”

Although dreams are being captured in Houma, owning a sno-ball company didn’t top Carrere’s job list as a youngster. Nevertheless, it became her life.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she says.

At the young age of 30, Carrere exhibits an enormous amount of satisfaction in knowing that her efforts – which have been a lifelong endeavor – are beginning to bloom.

TEDA is helping the restaurateur push forward in the expansion of her business; but it’s not just Carrere they are helping.

According to TEDA’s business retention and expansion director, Katherine Gilbert, the revolving loan fund that Carrere received $29,000 from was fueled by Community Development Block Grant money, which is allocated to Terrebonne Parish each year.

“The fund’s ultimate goal is to create job opportunities for low to moderate income individuals in the Terrebonne Parish area,” says the director. “That can either be the applicant itself or the jobs created as a result of the investment.”

For nearly three years, TEDA and the Terrebonne Parish Council have been working hand-in-hand to provide help to small businesses who are lacking a small portion of funding they need to finish their project.

“The loan is basically a gap financing mechanism,” notes Gilbert. “The applicant must already be working with a bank or financial institution in order to be eligible to receive the funding.”

The application process can take a couple months, “…but it’s doing a great deal of justice in terms of economic development,” she adds.

After a quick peek at TEDA’s portfolio, Gilbert says, “We have about 10 active loans right now.”

With a 4 percent interest rate and no closing costs, the loan is quite a bargain.

The money Carrere received should help the sno-ball stand owner complete her dream, help contribute to the local economy and give customers a chance to experience a traditional South Louisiana treat.

“The sno-balls are great. That’s the reason I come here,” explains Pat Trahan, a Houma resident and shop regular. “I don’t eat anybody else’s, there’s no reason to.”

Brooke Carrere, 30, prepares for the grand-opening of her sno-ball stand on the corner of Main and Buquet streets. The business received a $29,000 loan from the Terrebonne Economic Development Authority last week. * Photo by MICHAEL DAVIS