It’s Acadiana: Out To Lunch

Hosted ByChristiaan Mader

OUT TO LUNCH finds journalist Christiaan Mader conducting business Acadiana style: over lunch. Each week Christiaan invites guests from Acadiana's business community to join him. Beyond the foundations of the Acadiana economy - oil, cuisine, music - there is a vast network of entrepreneurs, small businesses, and even some of the country's largest companies who call Acadiana home. Out to Lunch is the cafeteria of the wider Acadiana business community. You can also hear the show on KRVS 88.7FM.

Acadiana Cane Cutters – Out to Lunch – It’s Acadiana

It’s not totally unheard of for a husband and wife to start up a business together. There are small businesses that are labor intensive and require long hours that a couple can split, and keep whatever profit they can make in the family.

Traditionally, businesses like family farms come to mind. Or convenience stores. Gas stations. And, perhaps more stereotypically than true these days, the mom and pop scenario where dad is a plumber and mom handles the phone and the books along with the kids.

You can probably think of other examples. But, unless you already know Sandi and Richard Chalmers, I doubt that your list of businesses a couple might start up together would include a baseball team.

Richard Chalmers, Sandi Chalmers

Sandi and Richard Chalmers met in college, where they got married. Richard brought Sandi back to his hometown of Lafayette, and some 28 years later, in 2010, they decided to start up The Acadiana Cane Cutters.

The Acadiana Cane Cutters baseball team is member of The Texas Collegiate League. They’re based at Fabacher Park in Youngsville.

Richard Chalmers

Couples have come up with all kinds of ways to re-energize their relationship after years of being together. And families have come up with all kinds of businesses to go into together. Starting up a semi-professional sports franchise together after a quarter century of marriage has got to be one of the most creative, inventive, and challenging ideas anybody has come up with. But it’s certainly working out for The Chalmers.

Sandi Chalmers

Photos from lunch at Cafe Vermilionville.