Put your stamp on trucker and cowboy hats at this new Perkins Road shop

Rancher Hat Bar is giving customers one-of-a-kind experiences, one hat at a time.

The customizable hat chain recently opened its first Louisiana location in Baton Rouge. The retailer, located at 3525 Perkins Rd. near Trader Joe’s and Lululemon, gives customers the opportunity to customize both cowboy and trucker hats with pins, patches and more.

“The foundation of Rancher Hat Bar is creating a personalized experience for everyone walking in,” says Molly Mejia, brand partnerships and public relations manager for Rancher Hat Bar. “No two hats are the same.”

The business was founded by Shantelle and Kenny Girard in January 2023. The couple started out of a vintage camper trailer, but after seeing how high the demand was, the Girards expanded to their first brick-and-mortar location in Folsom, California. 

“There was a lot of excitement over the concept and the idea and the really interactive experience that we’re bringing to retail,” Mejia says.

Since then, Rancher Hat Bar, which is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, has expanded to 18 locations across the U.S. in cities like Chicago, Las Vegas, Dallas and Salt Lake City. Most recently, Baton Rouge became Rancher Hat Bar’s 18th location, with a grand opening on Aug. 15. 

“We really love and admire the Baton Rouge community, its Southern culture, its hospitality,” Mejia says. “[It] has already shown us so much love.”

Rancher Hat Bar is also less than 10 minutes away from the LSU campus, and Mejia says everyone at Rancher Hat Bar is excited to show their Tiger pride and immerse themselves in the local school community. 

At Rancher Hat Bar, customers can choose from a selection of cowboy hats and trucker hats in all styles and colors. Though Rancher Hat Bar’s bestselling colors include earth tones like Silverbelly, Fawn and Gun Metal, the retailer also carries vibrant shades of blues, pinks and reds.

Once a customer settles on a hat, they can pick from accessories like patches, pins, charms and bands, depending on the style of hat. Rancher Hat Bar also offers custom branding, one of the store’s most fun offers, says Mejia. The store has an arrangement of letters and symbols that customers can get branded on their hats. 

From start to finish, hat tenders walk customers through every step of the process, helping guests with their selections, shaping the hats and arranging the accessories to ensure that each hat is personalized to that person. 

“A lot of people have told us that there’s a meaning behind what they’re choosing and really value the experience because it’s not just buying the cowboy hat—it’s really the process of making it, which is what makes Rancher Hat Bar so special,” Mejia says. “It’s truly the experience that they walk away from.”

Mejia says that part of the brand’s mission is to show a deep appreciation for Western culture through the cowboy hat while also helping people express themselves through fashion.

“We wanted to honor this timeless tradition of the cowboy hat but bring this fresh and unique twist to it with individuality,” Mejia says, “We still deeply honor its roots inherited in the Western culture.”

In addition to the store’s classic hats, guests can also make customizable bandana charm necklaces or shop bolo ties. 

No matter what a customer walks away with, whether it be a customized hat or personalized piece of jewelry, Mejia hopes that the memories stick with them even after leaving the store.

“We are hoping that Baton Rouge residents can really take away from Rancher Hat Bar the Rancher Hat Bar experience … which has been creating something of their own, just gaining an overall unique experience that they haven’t had either,” Mejia says.

Rancher Hat Bar is located at 3525 Perkins Rd. and is open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information about Rancher Hat Bar and what it offers, please visit the website.