Photo by Larry Ferguson
Beignets in Manitou Springs?
For one enterprising family, the idea of offering the French deep-fried pastries has proven to be a big winner.
“We knew we had a good product,” said Brandi Chism, who along with her husband, Billy, and their three children recently opened Rocky Mountain Beignets at 724 Manitou Ave.
A beignet (BEN-yay) is a type of fritter or doughnut, especially popular in Louisiana. The Acadians, an ethnic group that migrated from a French colony in Canada to Louisiana in the mid-1700s, brought them there. Those people later would be known as Cajuns.
Today, beignets are especially associated with New Orleans, where they’ve become a popular breakfast item, most often served hot and fresh.
Both Brandi, a retired teacher who taught math for 24 years, and Billy, a software designer who also operates his own company, are Louisiana natives. When they moved their family to Woodland Park four years ago from the Baton Rouge area, they decided to purchase and operate a food truck.
“We started the food truck in 2019 and decided to stick with what we knew, and that’s beignets. They’re something we felt people would enjoy,” Brandi said. “It was also a way to get our children involved, for them to learn how to operate a business. We wanted to share our entrepreneurial spirit with them.”
After selling from the food truck for a couple of years, the couple moved to Colorado Springs while also looking for a brick-and-mortar business outlet. They found the ideal place in downtown Manitou, a property consisting of a potential indoor retail space with an adjacent open-air space they converted into a patio/food court.
Rocky Mountain Beignets opened its patio area in mid-June. The inside space is destined to become a café/retail store featuring Louisiana products such as gumbo and jambalaya ingredients and mixes, along with an assortment of jellies.
It’s scheduled to open soon, probably by the end of September. Currently, it is being used as a kitchen to prepare blended coffees and smoothies.
“When we opened, the business exceeded my expectations,” Brandi said. “The local residents were very accepting of us and our product. They soon realized where we are from and that we are ‘legit’ cooks of Louisiana beignets.
“We were busy all summer and sometimes we had a line of customers waiting to get into the patio. The only slowdown we’ve experienced so far happened when school started back, but we’re still busy, especially on weekends.”
The café opening should give customers a comfortable inside place to gather when cold weather arrives.
The business is currently open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
“It’s a long day,” Brandi said with a smile. “We might shorten the evening hours when winter gets here. We’ll have to see what happens. We’ve been open only for a few months.”
The three Chism children — Morgan, Lauren and Andrew — help operate the business by taking turns with cash register shifts, cooking and serving. Several part-time employees also help with the operation.
The beignets, served three at a time, are made fresh daily, fried in cottonseed oil and covered with powdered sugar. Tourists also like the beignet “bites,” sliced-up beignets they can eat while strolling around town.
Brandi said that although she misses teaching and especially misses her students, she nonetheless enjoys her new career and the new direction she’s taken.
“And I really like being my own boss,” she said, “and making the decisions that affect the business. I think my husband and I make a great team!”
For area residents who haven’t tried beignets, Brandi encourages them to come in and give their creations a taste.
“We’ve had a lot of locals who didn’t know what a beignet is. Now we see them quite often.”
Information: 225-435-4369 or 225-278-2811.