Our family

---

I'm Samuel Reggie, III, and I am an Alderman for Ward 4 Division B in the city of Crowley.

Born and Raised here, I'm a 1997 graduate from Notre Dame High School. I received an associate from LSUE in 2000, and then my bachelors from LSU in 2003.

I owe my city council career to the brewery. I was going to the monthly meetings talking to the council at the time to see how they felt about me starting a brewery in downtown Crowley. I would give them updates on where we were with paperwork and the processes. Eventually I was approached and was asked to run for my district. Gus was influential in the process by helping run the small grass roots campaign knocking on doors and putting out signs. After winning I was assigned Community and economic development, which was a great fit for me since I gotten to know all of the people involved while putting the brewery together.  

How did Rice Capital Brewery get here? Service...

I was fortunate to have had my first experience in the bar and service industry be at the (Abbey) from 05-06. I then went and played in the oil field for about 5 years, traveled the country and was even sent to Dubai for a few months before getting burned out with no schedule. I found myself back in the service industry at a place called Louie's in 2011. These two service establishments taught me management skills, efficiency, a working kitchen, and that the best ingredients make the best products. Louie's closed the next year, and I felt that there wasn't anywhere where you could really bring a date,which became my basis of my original business model. With no availability at the time in Crowley, I settled for Rayne. It only took a couple of years before I was approached with the opportunity to open a higher end, sort of New Orleans style bar and grill, which became Reggie's Downtown Crowley. 

So why Crowley?

I was fortunate to have dated a couple of gals who loved staying at B&B's, and while staying at these B&B's, we always ended up in their downtowns. The atmosphere and the restoration of the old buildings is what I loved the most, so I didn't mind going. So what did all of these have that Crowley didn't, a bar and grill with the same type of atmosphere and cool factor. Crowley's downtown was fortunate to not have their building torn down in the 50's and 60's for the new strip mall look, and in 2008 they started the street scape project. Downtown was transformed back to its former glory. We had the groundwork laid have the best, and you can't have the best without the best ingredients. I saw an opportunity for tourism.

All of the infrastructure was in place and Gus is a new client and friend. So one day he mentioned brewing beer with another friend of his, and how it wasn't working out. I asked Gus if he would want to partner up and try the venture ourselves. Gus agrees but wanted to do an easy one using extracts or a minor grain build to show me how the process worked. I asked for the most difficult thing to brew, he laughed and he said :The Mermentau, but you don't want anything to do with that. Its all grain, has wheat which tends to get stuck, and is difficult to get sugar numbers”. I told him, “Well, if we're going to really do this, I think we should be the hardest first”. I purchased a small brewing kit and ordered some grain. We didn't have any fancy pumps or temperature controls, but we brewed a Mermentau in the bars kitchen, on a stove, taking 15 min turns stirring a pot and gravity feeding. That first 5 gal batch took almost 9 hours to complete. To give reference, we are currently brewing a small 15-20 gal batch in 5 hours flat. Fortunately, we had plenty of guinea pigs and they gave us great advice. We never threw any away and we've brewed 13 different beers. I named it Rice Capital Brewery, because we use Crowley rice in all of the recipes. The best ingredients do make the best products. The logo has Rice Capital of America 1939 to make sure we are selling the history. I also made sure that we are selling history with the names of the beer: the Standard, for Standard Mill Road. Crowley had 13 rice mills at its peak, we currently have 2 left. Old Spanish Trail, or hwy 90 the origial by-way before the interstate system. Vaux Sur Sure, named after Crowley's twin city in Belgium, and the Mermentau, the great river to the west of us, supplying trade, food, and travel. 

We are fortunate to be located under the offices of the founder of Crowley, W.W. Duson. 

The Duson building was originally build in 1901, and has undergone a massive restoration at the hands of E.L. Habetz Builders. When visiting, you will gaze upon the original 1901 exposed brickwork and long leaf pine found in our rafters. 

To the best of our knowledge Chronologically, 

1901-1930's Grocery store, closed due to the depression. 

1940-1942 Electrical supply company, closed due to World War II. 

Late 1940's-1975 Man Shop, tailored suits and shoes, closed for retirement. 

1979-2014 Crowley Art Gallery used the space as storage for local artist. 

2015-Present Reggie's Downtown Crowley.