KEY TAKEAWAYS: Gretna-based VelvetGeaux develops AI-powered phone and chat assistants, custom websites and payment systems for small businesses and nonprofits. The company serves customers across Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, focusing on affordable alternatives to multiple software platfor ms. Local clients include Chicken’s Kitchen, Morrow Hospitality and Heroes of New Orleans, while The Velvet Blender serves as a testing ground. VelvetGeaux holds Louisiana small-business credentials and offers bilingual technology designed to streamline operations and customer service.   A Gretna-based technology company is helping small businesses and nonprofits across Greater New Orleans and the Gulf Coast adopt artificial intelligence and digital tools designed to streamline operations, improve customer service and reduce reliance on third-party platforms. VelvetGeaux LLC, co-founded by Lance Butcher and Jazmin Leonardo Espiritusanto, develops custom websites, AI-powered phone and chat assistants, and payment systems for restaurants, nonprofits and other small businesses in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. The company aims to provide smaller organizations with technology typically associated with larger businesses while keeping costs manageable, according to Butcher. “We don’t sell templates,” Butcher said in an email. “VelvetGeaux is a custom platform: each business gets a real site built for how they work, plus AI that answers the phone and chat when the owner can’t, and simple payment tools that don’t take a cut of every order.” Unlike businesses that rely on several separate software subscriptions, VelvetGeaux combines its services into a single platform. Its technology includes bilingual English- and Spanish-language capabilities, customer communication tools and online payment features. Butcher said the company can launch websites within days after receiving the necessary content and approvals, rather than the months sometimes required for traditional website development projects. VelvetGeaux develops its own websites, business management portals and AI phone and chat systems. However, the company uses established third-party providers for certain functions, including Stripe for payment processing and telecommunications partners for phone services. The company operates with a small team and serves paying customers in the restaurant and nonprofit sectors throughout Greater New Orleans and the broader Gulf Coast, according to Butcher. Among its local projects is The Velvet Blender, a Gretna cafe and smoothie shop operated by the company’s founders. The business serves as a testing ground for VelvetGeaux’s technology, including its website, online ordering systems and AI tools. The company also has worked with Chicken’s Kitchen, a local restaurant, providing a website and management tools that allow the business to update menus, hours and daily specials. For Morrow’s and Morrow Hospitality, VelvetGeaux has developed digital services supporting the restaurant group’s locations, including a catering inquiry system that directs potential customers to the hospitality team’s staff. In the nonprofit sector, VelvetGeaux has provided technology services for Heroes of New Orleans, including a multipage website, bilingual assistance, AI-powered support, intake features and payment capabilities. Butcher said the company’s approach is intended to address two challenges facing smaller businesses: growing interest in AI technology and the fees associated with third-party ordering and software platforms. By integrating customer communications, online ordering and payment capabilities, the company seeks to help business owners manage daily operations without relying on multiple service providers. VelvetGeaux also has obtained Louisiana small-business credentials, including Hudson Initiative Small Entrepreneurship certification, and is listed on Source Louisiana, a platform that helps connect businesses with purchasing opportunities. The certifications and listing could help the company pursue additional work with public agencies and private-sector customers in Louisiana. Butcher said VelvetGeaux’s focus remains on providing practical technology solutions for locally owned businesses and community organizations that may lack the resources to build or manage sophisticated digital systems. ...read more read less