It wasn’t easy bringing Dong Phuong king cakes to the MS Coast. Here’s how it happened.
If Rudy Letellier had left things to chance, Mississippi Gulf Coast residents would still be driving to Louisiana for Dong Phuong king cakes and pastries.
With the barrage of requests for the popular king cakes, the Waveland pharmacist and pharmacy owner recognized the demand was there to support daily trips to the New Orleans bakery.
The folks at Dong Phuong were not as convinced. But the Waveland pharmacist wouldn’t take no — or several no’s — for an answer.
“I begged them for probably about six years,” Letellier said.
When his perseverance finally paid off, Letellier had to buy a license to start carrying the Vietnamese bakery’s breads, pastries and best of all, king cakes. He quickly found the demand was greater than he expected.
During Mardi Gras season, lines for the king cakes start forming at 8 a.m., two hours before Waveland Pharmacy opens. The king cakes sell out within minutes.
“By 10:12, 10:15 at the latest, we’re sold out every day,” said Carolyn Hosty at Waveland Pharmacy. “I’ve never seen king cakes sell so fast.”
Being an independent pharmacy, the king cakes have been a great way to draw in new customers. Letellier has seen people come for Dong Phoung king cakes from as far away as Pensacola, Jackson, Atlanta and Memphis.
Of the 20 retailers who stock Dong Phuong, Waveland is the only one outside of Louisiana. Because Dong Phuong has had trouble keeping up with the current demand, increasing the size or frequency of the Waveland order is out of the question.
Letellier’s best advice is to be in line by 9 a.m. or be open to buying a different brand. In addition to Dong Phuong, Waveland sells king cakes from Nonna Randazzo’s Bakery in Covington, Louisiana and from Paul’s Pastry Shop in Picayune.
King cakes are sold Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. until they sell out. The bakery is closed Tuesdays and Waveland Pharmacy is closed on weekends.
Waveland Pharmacy is at 112 Auderer Blvd. in Waveland.
For more information, visit their website, Facebook page or give them a call at 228-463-1055.
Do you know where all of the best king cake is on the Coast? Vote for your favorite in our 2023 Mardi Gras King Cake Bracket.
This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 12:52 PM.
