Baton Rouge antique market creates careers for adults with disabilities
Treasures at Roundabout Mercantile, an antique mall off O’Neal Lane. Photos by Collin Richie
Roundabout Mercantile is more than a great spot to find unique items—it’s changing the lives of those who work there
By April Capochino Myers
The Roundabout Mercantile is a treasure hunt of a store, filled with an eclectic mix of all things vintage, unique and handcrafted. The 9,000-square-foot antique mall off O’Neal Lane is the antithesis of big-box chain stores found in town.
Vendors occupy distinct spaces inside the building. Each space has its own “booth” to sell items. And every room of the building offers something different—furniture, jewelry, dishes, knick-knacks, books, records, vintage wedding dresses and even jeweled bridal crowns. It’s like shopping multiple estate sales under one roof, which should be reason enough to go check it out.
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But the best part about the Roundabout has nothing to do with what’s being sold and everything to do with who is selling it.
The Roundabout was created specifically to employ disabled adults, many of who are on the autism spectrum. It’s the brainchild of Jo Monroe, who employs the adults, whom she calls her “clients,” and empowers them to succeed.
“I have an autistic daughter. Those are the people who are harder to get jobs for,” Monroe says of her 20-year-old daughter, Ally Herndon. “This model is a common-sense model. We teach them why working is important. Money is meaningless to our clients. We have to show them that they are working for something, and we focus on self-
efficacy.”
Monroe combined her passion for antiques, hard work and motherly love to create the Roundabout.
This is her second “AbiliMall,” the employment model of retail she created for adults with disabilities. The first opened in 2012 and was housed at the Frances Center, a nonprofit on Terrell Road that provides employment and education to adults with disabilities.
The Roundabout Mercantile opened in February to create career opportunities for adults with disabilities, and the Terrell Road antique shop closed at the end of August.
Monroe designed the “AbiliMall” model while studying for her doctorate at LSU, where she focused on job creation for adults with special needs.
“We looked at this as a career laboratory,” Monroe says. “Everything you need to learn to be independent you can learn in a thrift store. And opening the Roundabout was a way to integrate our clients with non-disabled vendors. We don’t want them to be secluded.”
Estate sale companies and interior designers donate many of the items displayed in her clients’ booths. When clients decide what they want to sell, they work alongside non-disabled vendors to paint, build and repurpose furniture. Then, they display and price their items to be sold.
Each client manages his or her own booth and enjoys different aspects of the job. For instance, Monroe’s daughter, Herndon, loves to paint furniture and repurpose items to sell. Donovan Chaney, 24, runs his booth, “Donovan’s Little Town Treasures,” where he recently sold two chandeliers. And Ashley Shows, 25, who loves to read and sew, remodeled her booth to reflect the Victorian Romance time period.
Dianne Soileau teaches mosaic classes at the Roundabout and says not only is the retail space needed in Baton Rouge, but it’s providing a great working environment for adults with disabilities.
“They work hard,” she says. “They unload the trucks every weekend and set up their items in their booths, and they also go to classes in the morning.” GED classes, sewing classes and mosaic classes are offered.
Antique dealer and vendor Deirdre Breau says she was inspired by Monroe’s “heart” and tenacity. Breau makes it a point to spend time working with her clients.
“When I’m onsite, I help them look through items and help them price what they have,” Breau says. “This is a great opportunity for me as an antique dealer to have retail space here, but it’s also a great opportunity to help and see adults with disabilities working with their hands and doing something meaningful.”
Working at the Roundabout also teaches life skills, says Deborah Hazey, director of educational services for the Frances Center.
“I love teaching, and this is the epitome of teaching,” Hazey says. “Whether it’s conversation or logic or measuring or the differences between the types of bowls we get in, there’s always a teachable moment.”
The name Roundabout Mercantile is a nod to the trolleys that were intended to be used as riding cars on Ferris wheels in the 1900 World’s Fair. The trolleys were so heavy they were not usable on the Ferris wheels. They were taken down and placed randomly on the ground where vendors eventually started to use them to sell their crafts.
Monroe chose the name as a reflection of her mission.
“That’s what we did,” she says. “We dropped in different places and are working on our crafts. And like a Ferris wheel coming full circle, it’s amazing to see all of this come full circle. I get up every day and think about how everyone can meet their abilities today. My hope is that all of this will eventually launch careers for our clients.”
While the Roundabout Mercantile is filling a needed antique niche in southeast Baton Rouge, it’s also providing a much-needed service to these adults with disabilities who are learning a trade. And that message is clear even before entering the building. A giant chalkboard flanked by two American flags hangs next to the front door of the Roundabout and reads: “To be inspired is great, but to inspire is incredible.”
Visit the mercantile:
Located at: 2575 O’Neal Lane in the old Woodburners building, about a 15-minute drive from the well-known Denham Springs Antique & Arts District
Open: Noon-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday
1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
Editor’s note: This article has been updated since its original posting.
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