Posted on Jan 28, 2026 | Blog,News
Good food. Local pride. A cleaner St. James Parish.
Few things bring people together like good food and a shared sense of pride in the place we call home. That spirit is at the heart of the Keep St. James Parish Beautiful Tour of Restaurants, a community-wide celebration that blends local flavor, small business support, and a commitment to keeping St. James Parish clean and beautiful.
Launched by St. James Parish Government and Keep St. James Parish Beautiful with support from the Affiliate Program Grant from Keep Louisiana Beautiful, the Tour of Restaurants invited residents to explore local eateries that are stepping up for their community. Each participating restaurant is a registered Clean Biz Partner, demonstrating a commitment to maintaining clean storefronts and helping reduce litter throughout the parish.
The initiative transformed environmental stewardship into something fun and engaging. As participants collected stamps and visit local restaurants, they are not only discovering new favorites but also reinforcing a culture of care and pride for St. James Parish.
Ken Guidry, Board Director for Keep St. James Parish Beautiful, shared the excitement behind the project:
“This project is a fun way to promote keeping our community clean and to get local small businesses involved in the effort. We are hoping the community will support the initiative, and that we can repeat it next year with even more local restaurants involved.”
Adding an extra layer of celebration is the project’s youth engagement component. Local students were invited to design a T-shirt for the Tour of Restaurants, giving young artists a chance to contribute to a parish-wide initiative. The winning design was created by Mayson Ezidore, a Talented Art student at St. James High School, with additional students recognized for their creativity and talent.
Student design winners include:
· 1st Place: Mayson Ezidore
· 2nd Place: Mylah Knight
· 3rd Place: Juan Harrell
· Honorable Mention: Evalynn Brown
Community members joined the fun by picking up a stamp card at any participating restaurant from October 1 – January 6. Along the way, participants earned prizes while supporting businesses that are helping keep St. James Parish beautiful.
Participating Restaurants:
· B&C Seafood
· Nobile’s Restaurant & Bar
· PJ’s Coffee (Lutcher)
· El Paso Tacos & Tequila
· Boss Meals
· Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn
· Dru’s Place
Initiatives like the Tour of Restaurants show how creativity, collaboration, and community pride can make environmental stewardship something to celebrate. Keep Louisiana Beautiful is proud to support projects that connect people to their local businesses, uplift young voices, and inspire everyone to play a role in keeping their community clean.
This is what it looks like when a parish comes together to celebrate good food, local talent, and a shared commitment to a more beautiful Louisiana.
T-Shirt for St. James Parish Tour of Restaurants
