Grand Isle Jewels Oyster Brand Lands Large Distribution Deal As Jefferson Parish and Port Expand Jewels Infrastructure

One-of-a-kind economic development strategy leads to significant milestones in first five months

GRAND ISLE, La. – Grand Isle Jewels, a distinct brand of sustainable, off-bottom oysters created by the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO) in partnership with all Grand Isle off-bottom oyster farmers, celebrates significant milestones as it nears the half-year mark. Launched in April, Grand Isle Jewels has seen tremendous growth: aquafarm leases are expanding; the island will soon have its first oyster processing plant; and new restaurant customers are ordering Jewels through a deal with Inland Foods, one of the nation’s largest specialty food distributors.

“This unique, multifaceted brand campaign is building connections everywhere people are talking about oysters — from social media to seafood boards and kitchen tables,” said JEDCO President & CEO Jerry Bologna. “JEDCO is thrilled to spearhead this campaign, which honors Grand Isle’s legacy while forging a more sustainable future for a vital Louisiana industry.”

Grand Isle Jewels is the first-ever regional umbrella brand uniting Grand Isle products of innovative off-bottom oyster cultivation, a technique born in Grand Isle to cope with its storm-scoured seabed and eroding coast. Off-bottom oyster farming has been adopted as a sustainable aquaculture practice across the U.S. Gulf Coast and Eastern seaboard, as well as in Canada, Australia and parts of Europe. With a marketing strategy similar to Tennessee whiskeys and New York strip steak, the goal is to build back the nearly extinct oyster industry in Grand Isle by uniting small, off-bottom oyster brands under the Jewels umbrella, which was developed with grant funding from Louisiana Economic Development.

The branding attracted immediate interest from Inland Foods, a large specialty foods distributor with a major hub in Jefferson Parish. The company reached out on Instagram immediately following the brand announcement and tested the market with a soft launch. Nearly 10,000 Grand Isle Jewels have already been distributed in this initial phase. Now, Inland is expanding Jewels distribution throughout the Southeast and Texas.

To support the growing demand for Grand Isle Jewels, Jefferson Parish entered into a cooperative endeavor agreement (CEA) with the Grand Isle Port Commission in July to construct the first oyster processing facility on the island.

“Together with these hard-working farmers and grant-funded investments, we can restore Grand Isle’s reputation as a key exporter of premium oysters and boost Louisiana’s vital seafood industry, which has annual economic impact of $2.4 billion,” said Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng. “We appreciate the work JEDCO and our many partners are doing to expand this campaign during our Jefferson Parish Bicentennial, which truly captures our vibrant culinary culture, entrepreneurial spirit and unparalleled seafood product.”

The Jefferson Parish Council and Louisiana Sea Grant awarded the Grand Isle Port Commission a total of $250,000 dollars to fund construction of the oyster processing plant. Construction begins October 1 and is expected to be completed in three months. The facility will offer oyster farmers infrastructure they have never had on the island before, including a central, secure location at the Grand Isle Port Commission commercial dock that will be accessible by boat from the aquafarms, staged with the necessary equipment, to sort, process, clean and load oysters onto refrigerated trucks for distribution or return back by boat to the aquafarm for harvesting. Weldon Danos, President of the Ports Association of Louisiana and Executive Director of the Grand Isle Port Commission said the construction marks an important direction toward a productive future.

“The Grand Island Port Commission has spent the last several years repairing facilities from hurricanes, and now we have the opportunity to build a new, storm resilient infrastructure with input from the Grand Isle Jewels farmers every step of the way,” Danos said. “The seafood industry makes up about 90% of activity at the Grand Isle Port and that’s equally as important as grain or cargo or energy activity at our ports across the state of Louisiana. Grand Isle Jewels and the seafood industry are very important, and we are proud to grow with them.”

The Port is also expanding Oyster Farm Two by the end of this year, with $25,000 in additional grant funding from Louisiana Sea Grant. The expansion doubles available leases and acreage for off-bottom oyster farms in the waters off Grand Isle. All permits have been approved for the expansion of Oyster Farm Two, and there is currently a waiting list for additional farmers to join Grand Isle Jewels.

JEDCO announced the achievements on September 18, as Grand Isle Jewels made its Greater New Orleans OysterNight debut. The event honors the people and places that make Louisiana seafood legendary and is hosted by the Chefs Brigade, a nonprofit coalition of over 130 independent Gulf Coast restaurants.

“From Bucktown to Uptown, people are seeing Grand Isle Jewels on OysterNight menus — many for the first time — with a variety of flavor profiles from all of the individual brands Jewels represent,” said Troy Gilbert, executive director of the Chefs Brigade. “The bounty of delicious oysters Grand Isle farmers and traditional oyster farmers throughout Louisiana’s coastal waters are creating is truly special and helps preserve and support the culture and cuisine of our great state.”

In Grand Isle, the oyster industry thrived for over 150 years until the 1980s, when production began to steadily decline. The off-bottom farming of Grand Isle Jewels has brought oyster production back to Grand Isle.

The new Jewels brand recognizes Grand Isle’s pirate legacy, indicates the high quality of this sustainable product and honors the late Jules Melancon, the pioneering oyster farmer who was first permitted to farm off-bottom oysters in 2012. The campaign also serves as a model to unite more small businesses producing regionally sourced, Louisiana products.

For more information, visit www.grandislejewels.com.

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About Grand Isle Jewels:
The Grand Isle Jewels oyster brand was created through Louisiana Economic Development grant funding awarded to JEDCO to promote off-bottom oyster varieties grown in Grand Isle. Each Grand Isle off-bottom oyster variety retains its own unique identity under the Jewels umbrella brand to make this specific type of boutique seafood product easily recognizable. If they are Jewels, they are Grand Isle off-bottom oysters. For more information, visit www.grandislejewels.com. Follow on Instagram and Facebook at @grandislejewels.