Nicaud became the first known coffee vendor in New Orleans. Rose, a slave, saw the opportunity to provide a service to French Market vendors, workers and shoppers by providing them with fresh, hot coffee. Rose created a portable cart which she pushed through the market on Sundays, selling “cafe noir ou cafe au lait”. Her entrepreneurial efforts were a quick success. One customer is quoted to have said, “Her coffee is like the benediction that follows after prayer”.
It is likely that Rose provided the majority of her earnings from the day’s sales to her owner, as this was the typical arrangement. She saved the portion she was allowed to keep until she had enough to buy her freedom. Rose’s earliest customers stood next to her cart to drink their coffee. Later, she created a permanent stand in the Market, and her customers were provided with seating. Rose’s success inspired dozens of other women of color, who sold coffee from small portable stands.
In the 19th and early 20th century, many resourceful women of color in New Orleans made their living and supported their families by selling coffee, pralines, calas and other food and drink in the French Market and on the streets of the city’s old neighborhoods. They were known as Les Vendeuses.
Cafe Rose Nicaud is dedicated to the memory of Rose Nicaud and her pioneering success as a lead ing entrepreneur whose resourceful spirit and extraordinary efforts continue to inspire us today.
EXPERIENCE NEW ORLEANS THROUGH THE EYES OF A LOCAL!
Established in 2016 and has been growing ever since. Dat Nola Chic LLC is a passion-filled New Orleans brand and lifestyle blog founded by Deatra” Dee” Hollins, NOLA Chic. Dee invites you into the heart and soul of New Orleans by blogging real-life stories of the people who are the roots of New Orleans culture and traditions; they’re the honest-to-goodness Cultural Gatekeepers and Ambassadors of the city. The content highlights authentic New Orleans experiences that will enlighten and inspire you. Such as the local happenings tips on where to eat, stay and play as the locals do.
This platform is committed to educating and inspiring people worldwide. New Orleans is much more than the Big Easy vacation of tits, beads, and booze. The good times may roll on Bourbon Street, but to truly understand the meaning of “Laissez Les Bon temps rouler,” you must hang out with the locals. “Oui, her, New Orleans may be the number one travel destination globally. Still, it is home to generations of native New Orleanians committed to the continuum of our ancestors’ legacies, stories, traditions, and customs.
Please accept this invitation to experience New Orleans through the eyes of a local who is a sixth-generation New Orleanian who has experienced the joys and pains that come with living in New Orleans. Still, there’s no other place on earth she would want to live.
Dat NOLA Chic is a New Orleans native, persona, and writer who loves her city, cultures, traditions, and especially the people. She believes new Orleans is alive with a loving, resilient mothering soul whose spirit is kept alive within the hearts of New Orleanians.
View all posts by Dat Nola Chic
Dat NOLA Chic 