Eateries and shops galore

A wave of new restaurants and shops are set to open in the coming months as part of the first phase of Perkins Rowe, Tommy Spinosa’s long-awaited shopping and lifestyle center at Perkins and Bluebonnet, says new general manager Paul Carlson. Stylish, minimalist clothier J. Crew, eclectic pie-maker California Pizza Kitchen and chic French clothier BCBG Max Azria are poised to open this month. Also opening soon: a 16-screen Cinemark Theater (including an iMax screen), Barnes & Noble, Fish City Grill, The Grape, Kona Grill, and The Loft, plus retailers Anthropologie, Guess, Levi’s Only, Lucky Brand Jeans, Orvis Home Store, Urban Outfitters and Sur La Table. Also in the works are condos starting at $200,000, plus a few hotels and a Fresh Market grocery.

MommyMixer, a national franchise since 2003 that helps pregnant moms network with potential babysitters, is expanding into Baton Rouge. MommyMixer had its first event in June at Little House & Co. on Corporate Boulevard and is set to host its second mixer in September. Its events will be hosted at shops and venues that already appeal to moms and babysitters, and through them MommyMixer promises a unique way for parents to meet potential babysitters. “It is a round robin, or speed dating, except it’s for mothers and sitters,” MommyMixer founder and CEO Mary Sullivan Cooper says. The company is looking for local moms to work as reps to handle the Baton Rouge business, Cooper says. mommymixer.com