My successes.

Mary and Lance LeBlanc opened La Divina Italian Café in November 2013 with guidance from Baton Rouge SCORE Mentors. They have turned it into a thriving, locally-owned success that receives 5-star reviews and national recognition.

"We are about to celebrate our 11th year in business.  We reached out to SCORE about a year before opening.  Our advisor was stellar in putting us through challenging projects to ensure we were ready and aware of what would be needed."

May is National Small Business Month, and La Divina was carefully selected by SCORE. Mary LeBlanc says, “Our dream was to bring Baton Rouge a café with unique offerings to serve the community. SCORE allowed us to make that dream a reality.” Lance LeBlanc adds, “We truly believe that the SCORE organization, and its volunteer members, were an integral part of the success of our café. We would not be in business today had we not had their assistance. I always encourage people to contact SCORE if they dream of owning their own business.”

Baton Rouge SCORE Mentor, Bob Breaux, says, “Lance and Mary came to SCORE because, like so many, they had a dream but didn’t know how to get started. SCORE Mentors bring real world experience and resources to help budding entrepreneurs begin their journey and help existing small businesses grow.”

In Louisiana since 1964, and in Baton Rouge since 1966, Baton Rouge Area SCORE provides free, confidential, face to face or email mentoring, education and resources to area entrepreneurs and small business owners. Last year, SCORE provided services to start 318 new businesses in Louisiana. The Baton Rouge Area Chapter was awarded “District Chapter of the Year” recognition.

What do you do?

We are a local cafe with the best espresso and gelato plus breakfast lunch and supper.  We showcase local artists on our walls and feature live local singer songwriters live music.

What inspired you to start your business?

We were seeking to become our own "boss" and leave corporate jobs that were not rewarding.

What's special about your business?

We bring the community together in our events and music nights.

What influenced you to seek help from SCORE?

I was aware of the organization from advertising and attended a free seminar.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a small business?

Take advantage of as many resources as possible in planning and developing.