Kibberia Owners Coming Back Home for Expansion into Scott

USL graduates Georges and Martha Antoun are celebrating the expansion and grand opening of Kibberia in Scott today as the commercial kitchen is setting up shop at the former Discount Furniture building on Cameron Street, according to a press release from Lafayette Economic Development Authority,

Kibberia was founded by another USL graduate Carole Antoun Iskandar, who currently operates the commercial kitchen and restaurant in Danbury, Connecticut. The state-of-the-art facility in Scott will operate as a sister location overseen by her as it will provide prepared, fresh foods to regional grocery stores and supermarkets.

“We decided to expand into Louisiana given our familiarity with Lafayette Parish,” said owner Georges Antoun (USL 88). “My wife, Martha (USL 83), is from Opelousas and my daughter, Katherine, who will be running the kitchen, lives in Lafayette and attends UL Lafayette. Needless to say, we wanted to come back ‘home’ and give back to the place we love.”

More than 30,000 square feet of the 60,000-square-foot facility will be utilized for the kitchen, with 11,000 square feet of refrigerated space.

“The City of Scott is very excited about Kibberia," said Scott Mayor Jan-Scott Richard. "Investment and job creation are economic drivers for a community. The investment by the Kiberria team, which is locally owned, gives us the opportunity to market our city in a regional approach. We look forward to a wonderful partnership with Kibberia that will bring jobs and growth to our city for many years to come.”

According to the press release: The company’s chefs have created around 250 products including fresh salads, ready-to-bake and ready-to-eat meals, casseroles, and sandwiches. In addition, the company produces a wide variety of seasonal and holiday items. Their retail customers order a subset of the menu based on geography, time of year, and need.

The company is completing USDA and SQF certification.

“I am excited that Kibberia has decided to call Lafayette Parish home. Attracting more business to the Parish is key to ensuring our long-term economic health and makes Lafayette more appealing to businesses seeking to find a home,” said Josh Guillory, Lafayette Mayor-President.

“The opening of Kibberia is illustrative of what LEDA seeks to accomplish with our business and talent attraction efforts—bringing in and retaining the best and brightest from across the state, country and world,” said Gregg Gothreaux, President and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority.

“We are fortunate to have Kibberia choose Lafayette Parish as their home; a commercial kitchen of this size will immediately lead this industry in the market,” said Jean-Paul Coussan, State Representative for District 45. “Georges has had incredible success as an entrepreneur and with deep roots in this community, we look forward to the continued growth of this family run business.”

If you are interested in applying for a job with Kibberia, you can apply in person at 4207 Cameron Street.

“Our priority is the kitchen team," says Antoun. "All our employees will undergo rigorous training and we are hoping they will be with us for a long time.”