Po' Boys, A Personal Touch, and Preparedness 

Release Date: May 24, 2007
Release Number: 1604-552

» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Katrina

BILOXI, Miss. -- Welcome to Fayard’s neighborhood grocery store and gas station – a Gulf Coast institution where legendary po’ boys and fresh-cut meat are served with a special flavor of charm indicative of the south.

After living through nearly four decades, big competitors and the storm of a lifetime, the stores could probably survive anything. Keith Fayard, wife Delores, and his brothers Jimmy and Elvas own and operate four stores in Ocean Springs, Gautier and Biloxi. Keith learned the ins and outs of the business firsthand when he took a job in the meat department of a local grocery store at the age of 15. He and his brother opened their first store in 1971 and have gradually expanded without surrendering to larger competitors or losing touch with the local people they’ve served for so many years.

“People who own the stores are working here, I think people like that. When people come in here, they want to see the same faces. The community has supported us so well with all the competition of the big stores. To be able to persevere and do well – it’s a tribute to the customers,” says Fayard.

They sell everything in their stores – biscuits, gas, groceries, meat – but not at convenience store pricing, says the owner. They also feature in-house delis and restaurants. “You have to have good food. It is all about quality, quality and quality – and consistency. You want customers to want to come back. Ours have for 36 years.”

Keith takes his family’s survival after Hurricane Katrina in stride; while they feel the storm ultimately had a positive effect on their lives, they obviously don’t want to live through the experience again.

All of their stores remained open late on Aug. 29, 2005. Although the Popps Ferry Road store lost its roof, it didn’t rain for several days after the storm allowing the family to reopen five days later. Even in his family’s time of need, Fayard wanted to help his community so he offered jobs to homeless people living in a nearby shelter, salvaging the Popps Ferry Road store and clearing debris from the property.

“After the storm, people came. These types of stores are the most in need in a disaster. We have the must-have items – like gas, batteries, and groceries – to fit whatever people need before and after the storm. There were lines for miles for many, many days. We got out there and directed traffic in and out of the gas pumps. It was relentless; the lines just didn’t stop. People were so happy to get gas – we sold it until we ran out. We let people get $40 in gas instead of $20 like most of the other stations. We knew people needed as much help as they could get.”

Fortunately, none of the stores sustained flood damage which Fayard attributes to not building in flood zones. He also credits divine intervention and the community for helping his family and their businesses survive. He contacted a local friend to repair the destroyed roof and another friend provided a generator to help the store open so soon after the storm. “We were able to use our contacts and bring in fresh supplies when some other places couldn’t.”

The biggest lesson Fayard learned from Katrina: experience is everything; you have to prepare for a disaster. Undoubtedly, their experience contributes to their success. If a potentially dangerous storm approaches, they use metal window shutters and remove items from the outside of the store to prevent projectile debris. Family members relocate to the Popps Ferry Road location to help the store remain open when people need their products most.

While the business is successful, Keith worries about the future of Fayard’s. “We sold the Dedeaux Road store after Katrina. I don’t know how long we’ll be here. We feel like we can’t just turn it over to anyone. You have to be a meat cutter and successfully run a store. Sometimes it’s about knowing what to do before it happens; a little intuition. We do our homework. You have to understand the needs of the customer.”

“We’ve been able to survive the onslaught of big supermarkets. We owe our success to the community. It used to be, you just walked around the corner to your local supermarket. We want to remind people of old-fashioned neighborhood grocery stores of the past.” This personal approach could be the very reason that makes Fayard’s a local favorite.

This hurricane season, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) want Gulf Coast businesses ready to reopen as soon as possible following a storm. A disaster plan is not just for individuals and families – it’s about business. Whether big or small, all businesses need a disaster plan in place. Here are a few disaster preparedness tips for businesses:

After a disaster, low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are usually made available to businesses that sustained physical damage or economic injury.

For more business disaster preparedness information, visit the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov or visit the FEMA Web site at www.fema.gov and click on ‘Business.’

Like the Fayards, other Gulf Coast businesses can learn from Katrina: preparation, experience and customer service count for everything.

FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Monday, 20-Aug-2007 14:14:09