Love Grows History

Love Grows started on the streets of Soulard in St. Louis, MO. during Mardi Gras 1992. The owner made Mardi Gras masks and trinkets and sold them at a small booth during the parade. In St. Louis, weather will determine the success of an outdoor booth. Unfortunately, trinkets got wet and feather masks ruined in the rain. Still, it was great fun to be a part of the festival, so the next year, she expanded her enterprise by also selling beads. In 1993, after traveling to New Orleans to hand select the highest quality beads and wares for now two booths, Mardi Gras in St. Louis was ICE COLD. Liquids were frozen solid on the booth and, yet, potential customers were yelling from their cars to buy beads. With a large inventory and little outdoor carnival action, the owner sought an answer to this "roll of the dice" type business and brought her beads inside the warm bars and restaurants in the French Town of Soulard. Love does grow! The owners of some of the Soulard establishments who did not have beads to sell to their customers allowed her to walk throughout their place and sell the beads she was carrying or wearing. She gave them 20% of what was sold in their place.

The bar and restaurant owners realized that the beads helped make the Mardi Gras spirit come alive in their locations, and they made some money. That's when the bead rack was developed and Love really started to Grow. She analyzed locations and believed that all places with camaraderie and friendship could have fun having a Mardi Gras Party. She started talking to establishments all around the city about setting up bead racks. Most wouldn't believe the beads would sell at all. She encouraged bar and restaurant owners by consigning beads and giving them the 20% of everything sold without buying anything. She decorated their place, set up the racks, delivered beads, and made sure the party was happening for them.

The more places that let her sell, the more quantity she was able to buy. Every year the racks had better quality at lower prices. Every year the bead selection changed for the better!

Because the beads sold so fast, bar and restaurant owners wanted to buy the racks instead of consigning. When they bought the rack, they received 100% on their dollar when the beads were sold.

Now, there are over 200 locations in St. Louis who sell these racks on various optional plans. Love Grows has a showroom by appointment only for those who want to hand select their bead racks.

What Love Grows has done for those businesses who have allowed us to spread the Mardi Gras spirit is help them learn about beads; what prices they sell for, what sells best, and how to display them. Many locations started ordering themselves once they learned how. We at Love Grows think that's great. We gain some, we lose some, every year, but one thing we do know is that we left the true Mardi Gras spirit with all of them. We feel that we have played a part in growing Mardi Gras in St. Louis area. As Love Grows, Mardi Gras grows.

Now that we have a web site, we believe that we can help spread the Mardi Gras spirit to every location where people want to have fun. As a small company with big dreams, we at Love Grows wish you a HAPPY MARDI GRAS!