Two Southeastern alumni have followed their joy to create a thriving business, while also bringing a love for reading to those around them.

BY BROCK SANDERS

In the heart of old Denham Springs resides a bookstore named after a couple who graduated from Southeastern and chose the community above everything—even books.

John and Michelle Cavalier met through a mutual friend at a local bookstore before embarking on their daily
commutes to Southeastern. After spending countless hours in Sims Memorial Library, drafting ideas, business plans and friendship, Cavalier House Books was created by the pair in 2005.

“We used the heck out of the computer labs,” John said about starting his business while enrolled at Southeastern. “In between classes I was always in the computer lab doing schoolwork, but then, also, starting our business.”

John and Michelle (maiden name Badeaux) both graduated in 2009 and married that same year. John chose a degree in political science and Michelle a liberal arts degree. Both picked their degrees for their versatility and the University for its modest class size options. Southeastern provided the two with a more engaging experience and homey atmosphere compared to other larger institutions, according to John and Michelle.

Michelle originally chose to study English when she arrived on campus, but eventually transitioned to liberal arts after developing an attraction to Southeastern’s Italian courses. To make room for more courses in that field, Michelle opted to switch majors and provide herself with opportunities to “go where her curiosity takes her.”

“Being able to dig into whatever my intellectual curiosity was at any given point was what the [liberal arts degree] afforded me and let my life continue in that direction,” Michelle said.

Michelle credits Dr. Lucia Harrison for her passion in Italian culture. That passion took her on a study abroad trip to Italy through Southeastern. Dr. Harrison initially stimulated her mind to explore different experiences and a different language as Michelle traveled to central Italy and Rome, while writing essays and gaining credit hours for her new degree back home in Hammond.

John also was in a different degree before settling on political science, wanting to first acquire a history degree. After taking a course taught by Dr. Pete Petrakis in the Department of History and Political Science, John became hooked and switched to a degree he says he uses daily at his business.

Through their years at Southeastern, John and Michelle spent countless hours in the private study rooms at the library and at the Contemporary Art Gallery. Opening a business is a difficult task as it is. Opening one while still enrolled in school? Daunting to say the least.

“Throw your hand over the wall and do it,” John advises those on the fence about taking on the endeavor he and his wife undertook years ago.

Michelle’s curiosity and John’s passion led the two toward operating a business together. From best friends to mister and missus, Cavalier House Books was born. The two initially operated their business without a physical store and eventually acquired institutional records from their previous boss at Book Warehouse of Baton Rouge, where John and Michelle worked.

The Cavaliers opened their store’s original location in Denham Springs in 2009, staying at the building for the next 13 years. The two have now operated as a business for close to two decades and in 2022 moved to a building nearly double in size to accommodate an ever-increasing clientele.

Beginning in 2011, the Cavaliers started traveling to various schools ranging from elementary to university to provide book fairs to the masses. The pair have totaled close to 70 book fairs, averaging 15 to 20 per year depending on scheduling.

Other additions like various book clubs keep the Cavaliers on their toes all days of the week. An average day at Cavalier House Books, according to John and Michelle, is what makes their business unique. Every bookstore has a piece of uniqueness that stems directly from the community it is surrounded by, according to John.

“It’s focusing on place, focusing on the community that you serve, and really trying to be an asset to that,” John said.

Despite the amount of time spent at the store, John and Michelle still find time to post what books they are reading on the business’ website. Michelle’s favorite book is 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. John recommends Burmese Days by George Orwell, his favorite book to date. However, countless other options could have easily gained the same title of “best,” according to the couple.

After enduring the 2016 flood, countless hurricanes, and other natural disasters, John and Michelle took their business next door. The couple moved to a larger facility and expanded Cavalier House Books for “a dedicated event space and flexible space.”

“Every time that something bad happens, we’ve always managed to add something good to our repertoire. Do
something differently; do something new,” John said. With a change in scenery and a building, John and Michelle
now operate with more room and bigger possibilities for their brand. While John hopes to eventually create a pizza restaurant in the unused second story of the shop, both have visions of a more book-centered goal.

“One of the big things that we kind of have in front of [our] mind is opening a publishing company,” Michelle said about plans for Cavalier House Books. “It is another big, new scary thing, but it’s something that is very exciting.”

Through the success and struggles of Cavalier House Books, John and Michelle admit it was a culmination of many factors that got them to own their business. From their relationships with their professors at Southeastern to giving back to the community, the Cavaliers created a consistently growing business in Livingston Parish. However, the glue that has kept the two operational past the struggles and looking onward to bigger plans is the books themselves.