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| James Colvin and Bryan Dupree with new owners John and Michelle Cavalier. | |
John and Michelle Cavalier, owners of Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, La., have purchased Beausoleil Books in Lafayette, La., from original owners and married couple James Colvin and Bryan Dupree, the Acadiana Advocate reported.
Beausoleil Books, which opened in 2020, will close next week for renovations. When it reopens on August 3, it will do so under the name Cavalier House Books, and the renovations will include removing an interior wall, moving the cashwrap to the middle of the store, and adding a new children's area. The space features a 500-square-foot kitchen, which the Cavaliers plan to use for cookbook events, and they will expand the inventory across the board.
Colvin and Dupree are moving away from Lafayette due to the latter's career, and prior to the sale, were considering closing the bookstore. Earlier this year, they posted in a Facebook group about their predicament, and the Cavaliers responded.
"They didn't know what they were going to do," John Cavalier told the Advocate. "They were just trying to figure it out. I mentioned to them that we've always wanted a second location and we've always loved their store. Everything they did here was quality."
"We had to make a tough decision," Colvin remarked. "We were in the process of going to start to close and were searching around for people to take our inventory. They [the Cavaliers] kind of fell in love with Lafayette and what we managed to build in just three years."
The Cavaliers opened their store in 2009, a year after they graduated from college. Beausoleil Books opened in late 2020, and until 2023 featured the Whisper Room, a lounge and wine bar with a small food menu. The general-interest inventory included a focus on French literature, regional culture and history, and diverse authors.