The Mardi Gras season is already upon us here in Acadiana. While some festivities have not yet begun, one iconic piece of Mardi Gras tradition is already bringing in the sales for one Acadiana business.
Part of KATC and EW Scripps Company News Literacy Week, students at STM looked into the business of king cake making here in Lafayette.
There are several Rickey Meche's Donut shops throughout Acadiana.
Hot glazed doughnuts, kolaches and sweet pastries are served daily, but starting just a few days after the new year, it's the king cake that keeps business booming.
Rickey Meche's picks up production of all their goods and that means more workers to get king cakes out the door.
"We hire more people during Mardi Gras season," said Nicole Domingue with Rickey Meche's Donut. "We come in around 10:00 pm during the peak season of Mardi Gras to work on King Cakes."
Rickey Meche's says they can make an estimated 800 to 1000 king cakes per day during the peak Mardi Gras season.
Lafayette Travel President Ben Berthelot says it's one of the city's best money makers every year.
"Over a hundred thousand people visit Lafayette for Mardi Gras which totals to about 110 million dollars into the economy," Berthelot said.
The purple, green and gold king cake and the hidden baby inside brings some of the those dollars into Meche's over 50 year old business.
This week, January 27-31, KATC and our parent company E.W. Scripps are partnering with the News Literacy Project.Throughout the week KATC and other Scripps' stations will air stories related to the topic of news literacy.
To learn more about News Literacy Week visit NewsLiteracyWeek.org
