LAFAYETTE PARISH — In the heart of Acadiana in downtown Lafayette, Anna Kearney reflects on how far she’s come in just a few years. “I think about the journey that’s gotten me where I am now from where I started, even two years ago to where I am now, my life has significantly changed,” she says.
Kearney, a mother of four boys and the current bar manager at The Alley in downtown Lafayette, has transformed her life through resilience, self-discovery, and the support of those around her. “First and foremost, I’m a mother of four boys,” she explains. “I also am a bar manager for The Alley downtown. I really love my job here and I enjoy being a mother—it’s one of my greatest joys in life.”
But the path that brought her here was far from easy.
Before stepping into her role at. Kearney spent seven years as a stay-at-home mother. Though she had previous experience in the restaurant industry, she set her career aside to raise her children.
Reentering the workforce required more than just a résumé—it took grit.
“From being a stay-at-home married woman to 40-plus hours a week, managing a bar,” she recalls. “A huge, huge eye-opening experience to stay home for seven years with my kids and then enter back into the workforce, and—you have to start from the bottom.”
Kearney’s return to work began humbly. “I worked my way up,” she says. “I was washing dishes at a restaurant whenever we first started going through the divorce, washing dishes, and then I waited tables. I worked my way back up to where I am now.”
She describes her divorce as a turning point. “At the time I saw it as something that was really bad but now I see it as it was nothing but a blessing,” Kearney reflects. “I was divorced, which got me started on my journey of figuring out who I am.”
That journey, she says, was fueled by an inner strength. “I just naturally have a sense of endurance,” she says. “I think that my strength is owed to my kids and it’s owed to my family and the amazing people that I have around me that support me constantly.”
Through her work and personal growth, Kearney found more than just a job—she found a sense of belonging. “Community,” she emphasizes. “It’s the relationship building, it’s the feeling like you’re a part of something bigger.”
That sense of community is especially present at The Alley, where Kearney has poured her energy and vision into shaping a space that feels inclusive and meaningful. “I’m just super passionate about what I’m doing here and the vision that the owners and myself have for this place,” she shares. “It’s so much more than a bar—it’s a space for everybody.”
As she continues to build both her career and her life outside of it, Kearney says she carries her past with her—not as baggage, but as a foundation.
