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LAFAYETTE — Gimme Some Sugar, a boutique and coffee shop in LaFayette, hosted a Sip and Relax event on Friday that featured free massages from students in the Southern Union State Community College massage therapy program as well as a $100 cash giveaway for anyone who made a purchase.

Jennifer Graves opened Gimme Some Sugar in November of 2020 with her husband, Justin.  Initially, the business served solely as a boutique, however Graves came to realize that there would be slower months, especially during the school year. As such, they decided to incorporate a coffee shop into their business in April of this year.

“While we originally only had the boutique, we found that there were some slower times that we didn’t have a lot of customers,” Grave said. “Because of that, we incorporated the coffee shop in April, and it has done really well so far.”

Graves noted that she hoped that the Sip and Relax event would draw in more customers and make the Chambers County community more aware of the business.

“We really want to just spread the word and let the whole county know that we are here,” Graves said. “Not only do we want to help people with their accessory needs, we also want to serve them great coffee.”

Carrie Wood, Executive Director of the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, helped to organize the event and bring the students from Southern Union down to LaFayette.

“Our biggest goal is to try and help small businesses to grow,” Wood said. “I thought that by hosting a massage event here, it would bring in teachers and students looking to shop for outfits and give them a chance to relax before the start of the school year.”

Wood also noted that, while the giveaway was open to the public, it was possible that it could help teachers furnish their classroom.

“Anyone can win the prize, but if a teacher wins, it may help them put money back in the classroom,” Wood said.

In addition, while Graves would not go into detail at this time, she noted that exciting things are in the works regarding the future of Gimme Some Sugar.

“I don’t want to give away too much information, but the coffee is doing great, and we are looking to do some big things soon,” she said.

Starting on Wednesday, Gimme Some Sugar will shift its hours to better adjust to the school year. It will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m CST on Saturdays.