Owners

Luke and Lori Frederick

Luke is a Natchitoches native having grown up in the family business, Kaffie-Frederick Inc. He graduated from USL, now ULL, in 1988 and as a result of Louisiana’s depressed economy, employment was difficult to obtain. At the time, Luke’s grandparents Titus and Hona and father John were managing the store. His grandparents, in their upper 80s, were looking to slow down.

With the completion of the filming of Steel Magnolias business increased, providing an opportunity for Luke to return to the store as an employee.

Lori Halphen Frederick was reared in New Iberia and graduated from USL in restaurant administration. She and Luke met in college and were married in 1989. After a short time as a legal secretary she joined Luke at Kaffie-Frederick and together they began an expansion and revitalization of the historic business.

Thirty years have passed since Luke and Lori entered the business and since then, Luke’s brother Sydney and Luke and Lori’s son Jonathan have joined the business to ensure that the tradition continues.