Villarreal opens state’s first drive-through daiquiri outlet in Altus
ALTUS – Kenya Villarreal’s transition from stay-at-home mom to business owner has been a “surreal experience” since opening Bayou Booze two weeks ago.
Bayou Booze, located at 115 W. Walker St., is the first drive-through daiquiri outlet in Oklahoma, Villarreal said. She sells a variety of frozen daiquiris with flavors such as watermelon, orange, banana, mango, strawberry and their signature drink the Rowdy Rhinestone.
All the frozen drinks are sold in sealed containers and placed either in the backseat or trunk of a customer’s vehicle by a Bayou Booze employee, which is required by state law.
Villarreal, who was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, opened Bayou Booze on March 29.
“It’s been very busy,” she said. “We’ve had great response and a lot of support. We have more than 2,000 followers on social media and many regular customers. We’ve already been asked to expand into Elk City and Vernon, Texas, but we want to get this up and running before we consider expansion.”
Villarreal said she grew up around daiquiri shops in Louisiana and believed one in Altus could be a hit. So far, she’s been right.
She and her husband J.R. began the project in 2021 but were hampered by the pandemic, construction delays and the process of obtaining a state liquor license from the Alcohol Beverage Law Enforcement Commission. J.R. Villarreal, who owns A&A Tree Service, and his staff renovated the entire building where Bayou Booze is located.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Kenya said. “I was almost prepared to throw my hands up. I didn’t know if it would happen.”
But the renovations were finally completed, the parking lot was finished, and the state alcohol license was approved, making way for Villarreal to open the business.
“It’s a dream come true,” she said. “It seems a little overwhelming at times. I had to learn the ratios of alcohol to mixes so they’ll freeze correctly, and I’ve gone from being a stay-at-home mom to business owner so that’s a big change. It was a surreal experience when we finally opened. I think our first customer was as excited as we were. It’s exciting to see the support we have.”
The store also sells six flavors of Jell-o shots, which must also be placed in either backseat or trunk of each customer’s vehicle. The flavors are watermelon, peach, strawberry, lime, strawberry lemonade and blue raspberry. In addition, Villarreal started selling Tipsy Tomato Bloody Mary in a can, according to the company’s website.
Store hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The outlet is closed on Sunday. For more details and updated information, visit Bayou Booze on Facebook and Instagram.