Through the eras: A timeline of 225’s big moments

November 2005

A new voice for Baton Rouge

With a mantra to help residents “discover, experience and celebrate” the city, publisher Julio Melara and co-founder Rolfe McCollister introduce a new lifestyle magazine named for the region’s area code. Early editions document burgeoning arts and culinary scenes and how an influx of residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina is reshaping the city. An online presence shortly follows, with 225batonrouge.com and a newsletter called 225 Select launching the following spring.

February 2009

Recipe for success

With buzzy, young publications like Eater and Thrillist and shows like Top Chef feeding a new foodie generation, the 225 Dine weekly newsletter is the magazine’s first big bet on food. It’s followed by the 2010 inception of 225 Best Eats (a local answer to Groupon serving specials from partner restaurants) and the 2015 emergence of First Look tours of new restaurants. Today, 225 publishes multiple food-themed cover stories per year.

February 2016

Get out the vote

225 relocates the ballot for its Best of 225 Awards to 225batonrouge.com. (When voting started in 2006, an independent research firm conducted the survey by email.) The 2016 move ushers in new voters, as all Capital Region residents are now welcome to cast ballots. A swell in campaigning by businesses follows.

March 2020

Pandemic pivot

It’s not the first time 225 has rewritten an entire issue days before shipping it to the printer. After all, the magazine has flipped the script in response to natural disasters and community crises before. But COVID-19 pervades every cover story and reframes each article written during the pandemic, with stories about hospital workers fighting the virus, restaurant owners weathering shutdowns and arts organizations navigating social distancing. In true 2020 form, there’s even a virtual Best of 225 Awards presentation.

January 2021

Digital first

The 225 Daily newsletter debuts, reporting on local culture, restaurants, shops and events Monday through Friday. Instagram’s recently introduced reels format fuels 225’s new investment in short-form video storytelling. Strategically publishing newsy stories online before they land in print expands the website’s reach (logging over 3.5 million page views in 2024) and captures a wider audience on Instagram (growing by more than 21,000 followers since the end of 2020).

January 2025

New decade, new look

A milestone year begins with the reveal of 225’s first logo redesign since 2013. A little curvier, a little classier, the masthead is reflective of the magazine at 20: grown up but still youthful and fun. The yearlong rebrand culminates in redesigns for 225’s website and newsletter (unveiled this summer) and the commemorative anniversary edition in your hands now.

This article was originally published in the November 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.