Resurrecting an iconic third space

For inhabitants of West Feliciana parish's northern latitudes, and especially the Lake Rosemound community, the institution known as the Lake Rosemound Store or Capt’n Doug’s Bait Shop was a bit of a lifeline. For decades, the little bait and tackle store at the corner of Rosemound Loop and Sligo roads was the only retail establishment for miles, which explains why, in addition to bait, it also stocked fishing camp essentials like beer, Frito Lays, wiener sausages, two-stroke engine oil, live crickets; or—for parents who’ve just driven a carful of hungry children ten miles past St. Francisville having forgotten to go by the grocery store—even a half-gallon of reasonably fresh milk. That came to an end in January, 2025, when Douglas Paul Kozan, aka “Capt’n Doug” passed away, leaving the little store dark, and absent-minded parents driving back to St. Francisville. So, last August, when Lake Rosemound residents Brent and Kory Hammatt purchased Capt’n Doug’s with plans to re-open a general store that would cater more, well, generally, to local residents, there was rejoicing. “The store was in pretty bad shape,” said Brent Hammatt in January, when the couple were knee-deep in renovations. “We’ve been cleaning it up, but trying to preserve some of the old history in the process.”

Preserve history they did. In late May, the new “Shiners Lake Rosemound General Store” opened, with everything good about Capt’n Doug’s still in place, plus a lot more besides. For fishermen, there were live minnows, crickets, and worms, artificial baits, monofilament, life preservers, and other essentials. The polaroid photos depicting folks holding trophy bass were still on the walls and beneath the counter glass. But it was in the refrigerators where the real transformation had taken place. One fridge held frisbee-sized muffulettas from Cannatella’s Grocery of Baton Rouge. In a freezer, frozen Cannatella’s chicken fettuccini, shrimp and tasso pasta, meatloaf and mac ‘n cheese shared shelf space with water buffalo ground meat from neighboring Bayou Sarah Farms. Fresh yard eggs were on the counter. Shelves held thoughtfully curated after-hours grocery staples—from peanut butter to ragu, canned tuna, jambalaya mix, and boxed and bottled wines. The beer fridges were full to overflowing. According to Brent Hammatt, muffalettas, to-go pizzas, Days deer burritos, ice cream treats, and Cannatella’s frozen meals are selling like hot cakes. This is exactly what the couple had in mind. “We reopened Shiners because we wanted the store to have a much better selection for the community,” Hammatt said, “but what we really wanted was to bring the community back to the store. We wanted to provide that gathering place where neighborhood people could come and have a cup of coffee, grab a sandwich, while sitting down at the same table and meeting someone new.” (225) 635-7258.