About StayLocal

A project of the Urban Conservancy, StayLocal is the Greater New Orleans Independent Business Alliance. We are a city-wide initiative for creating a strong economy based on locally owned and operated business. StayLocal encourages consumers to shop locally while helping independent businesses compete effectively.

We are devoted to raising the visibility and viability of the locally owned, independent New Orleans businesses because we believe that New Orleans’ independent businesses are the backbone of the city’s culture, economy and character. Read more >

Are you a local business? Join our Krewe!

Get Involved:

The Urban Conservancy and StayLocal co-hosted a “Pathways to Participation” workshop focused on the 6 Conversations and Asset-Based Community Development. Learn more about the ABCD methodology here.
Read our report, Thinking Outside the Big Box: A Report on Independent Merchants and the New Orleans Economy
Learn more about shopping local and why it matters.
Swing by an upcoming event.
Find a local business.

Independent America-Rising from Ruins

Rising from Ruins tells the story of how New Orleans’ local businesses led the city’s recovery post-Katrina. The film is also about The Urban Conservancy’s mission to create a strong network of independent businesses through its StayLocal project.

Why Join StayLocal? Ask Our Members!

StayLocal members Canoe and Trail Adventures, Travel Central, and Zeus’ Rescues tell us why they choose to support us and what the organization means to them.

The Importance of Buying Local

Stay Local! is a city-wide initiative for creating strong economies based on locally owned and operated businesses. They encourage consumers to shop locally and help independent businesses compete more effectively.

Nov 2021

NEW ORLEANS (press release) – ShopLocalNola and StayLocal have partnered this holiday season to support locally owned, Greater New Orleans area businesses through an initiative called “Nola Elves Local Shelves.” The event begins Small Business Saturday, November 27, and runs through December 25, 2021.

“Nola Elves Local Shelves,” sponsored by Help!! Air Conditioning, Trane Technologies, and JB Communications, is an initiative to highlight and support local businesses through free marketing resources, weekly holiday giveaways, interactive “Find a Store” maps, and more. This free public service project, in partnership with local chambers, economic development organizations, and business associations, is designed to connect shoppers with locally owned businesses.

“We encourage the community, public officials, and local businesses to join us in this social media effort to drive more business to locally owned businesses during the holidays and year-round,” says Jacquie Bonano, founder of Shop Local Nola and owner of JB Communications, LLC.

“We challenge local consumers to spend a minimum of 10% of their holiday shopping budget on locally owned businesses,” added Maryann Miller, Program Manager of StayLocal.

Read the full article here.

Oct 2021

Read the full story by Keith Twitchell at BizNewOrleans.com here.

To say that many local businesses are reeling from the dual impacts of Hurricane Ida and the pandemic closures and restrictions is putting it mildly. An alarming number of enterprises that were scraping by during COVID-19 have thrown in the towel after Ida. With many more hanging by a thread, all resources and support are absolutely critical.

One valuable resource for area business owners is StayLocal, an initiative of the Urban Conservancy. An alliance of independent businesses in the greater New Orleans area, StayLocal’s mission is “raising the visibility and viability of the locally owned, independent New Orleans businesses.”

Apr 2021

Read the story on nola.gov here.

NEW ORLEANS — This past weekend, a locally designed and built parklet was added to the ongoing French Market Place concept demonstration, which closes one block of French Market Place to through-traffic from 7 a.m. Thursday through 7 a.m. Monday on a weekly basis.

The demonstration is an opportunity for the City and community stakeholders to interact with a parklet, which reimagines a section of the on-street parking lane for expanded sidwalk space – including as outdoor seating for restaurants and bars. This demonstration will help the City test design specs and guidance for the creation of an upcoming parklet permit program.

“Under Mayor Cantrell’s direction, we have been innovating to remake outdoor public spaces during COVID-19 with our Outdoor Dining programs such as the Parklet Pilot Program, temporary Sidewalk Cafe permits, and others,” said Jeffrey Schwartz, Director, Office of Economici Development. “The French Market Place Parklet is a prime example of the value that our public spaces can offer besides parking both during the pandemic and beyond. We appreciate the aprtnership of the French Market, StayLocal, and the Greater New Orleans Foudnation in making this possible, and we look forward to collaborating to activate streetscapes throughout the city as we recover from COVID.”

This demonstration was made possible thorugh a partnership with the Urban Conservancy/StayLocal, the French Market Corporation, French Market Palce businesses, and the financial support of the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

“The French Market Corporation is excited to be part of this partnership and the site of this first demonstration project,” said Leslie Alley, Interim Executive Director of the French Market Corporation. “As our locals and visitors reutrn to the Market, we want to provide a safe social environment where they can enjoy some of the best food and retail the City has to offer. Our vendors are excited to have additional seating in this historic open-air environment. We invite everyone to come to the Market and give us your feedback on this great new program.”

“By designing and building this prototype locally, we’re showing that expanding dining into the street can add real value to a business. This is one way that we can give a leg up to New Orleans’ hard-hit restaurant and bar owners,” said Maryann Miller, Program Manager with StayLocal.

“The COVID-19 pandemic forced dramatic changes in the way businesses were allowed to operate, requiring creative and innovative solutions,” said Andy Kopplin, President and CEO, Greater New Orleans Foundation. “We’re proud to have partnered with the City, the French Market Corporation, and StayLocal to show the way by giving small, local businesses new opportunities to safely serve their customers in an inviting outdoor setting as part of this exciting parklet demonstration project.”

Currently, bars and restaurants citywide can apply for a Pilot Parklet permit for added seating capacity during COVID occupancy restrictions. For more details on current options, visit nola.gov/parklets.

Nov 2018

We’ve been here in New Orleans for 300 years. We wouldn’t still be here if we didn’t have the ability to adapt. But we don’t like change. We still reminisce about long-closed drugstores, bakeries, and supermarkets. And, 300 years later, we’re still on the brink of flooding when it rains for an hour.

The Urban Conservancy is on both sides of this street. They want to keep things as they are, and they want change. They want you to support your local small retailer, and they want you to bust up the concrete in your yard and make a garden to help stop street flooding.

Listen here!

Dec 2016

Our local business owners are integral investors in our city’s economic engine, from the tax base to philanthropy to job creation. Their success depends on the wise management of our city’s built and natural assets. UC Director Dana Eness shares her thoughts here.