The Cash and Carry building, or the “Cash Grocery and Sales,” building as it was once known, is a faithfully restored, 9,600 square-foot warehouse built in the 1930s to house what has been described as the “Sam’s Club” for small grocery businesses. Wholesale goods were sold to local businesses; however, it was eventually opened for retail consumers before it was eventually abandoned. Designed by Dunn & Quinn, well known architects who designed nearly 2,000 schools, banks, churches and public facilities, the original plans called for a sturdy, utilitarian building featuring a skylight for light and ventilation.
Events at Cash & Carry
The Venue
The building was closed in 1992 and was put on the Eleven Most Endangered Sites List by the Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society. The Cash & Carry was one of the buildings in a program sponsored by a grant from the National Park Service and the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development for Fifth Graders called “Vanishing History” that studied its architectural detail.
Rick and Donna Richard “rescued” the property in 2007. Two short years later, the Louisiana Trust for Historical Preservation bestowed the 2009 Honor Award as a special award for its preservation. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Your Event
The Historic Cash & Carry is a rustic 9,600 square foot warehouse, complete with polished cement floors, exposed brick, giant wooden beams, and skylights that give the warehouse warm glow. The main hall stretches across 7,840 square feet, allowing for you to set up whatever floor plan you desire. The Cash & Carry also features a warming kitchen perfect for keeping food ready for your guests and a hand crafted bar, allowing you to serve refreshments in style.