Kids love our two, life-size store mascots — ‘Roger’ is a 3D printed droid that is over 6 feet tall, and then ‘K2’ hangs out in our party room supervising the parties and stands a towering 7 feet, 2 inches tall. They make for some great selfies!”
After 20 years in the industrial equipment rental field, Luke Fontenot is delighting in having found a second career as the owner of Louisiana’s first Bricks & Minifigs.
A LEGO resale shop — Bricks & Minifigs Metairie, launched in the Old Metairie Village shopping center in 2024 — looks to cash in on the nostalgia with opportunities for LEGO fans to buy, sell and trade items while also inspiring new generations of little makers.
Since its inception in 2010, the Bricks & Minifigs franchise (short for the popular LEGO “minifigures”) has grown to more than 200 locations across the U.S. and Canada. The Old Metairie shop was joined in late January by a second Louisiana store in Covington.
Fontenot said he became inspired to open a location after observing his own young LEGO fan at home, and then a summer trip to Houston sealed the deal.
“My wife and I were looking for a family-friendly franchise investment, and on a trip to Houston over the summer I saw an ad for Bricks & Minifigs in Houston. The moment I walked in, I knew that New Orleans needed a store like this. I was [a LEGO fan] off and on during my childhood, but my son — who was 5 at the time — was quickly moving into the LEGO zone and I knew the brand was well respected and a household name.”
According to the Bricks & Minifigs national website, the principles of the company include three R’s: rebuild, reuse and reimagine.
“We’re the largest toy store of our kind, specializing in only new and used LEGO® items.
We buy, sell, and trade all LEGO® products! LEGO® resellers can earn cash for their old bricks and make sure they go to someone who appreciates them. From unopened sets to bulk tubs of loose pieces to storage unit-sized collections, we’ll take it if it’s the LEGO® brand,” the company notes.
For Fontenot, connecting with Bricks & Minifigs has been a rewarding process from the very beginning.
“‘BAM’ — that’s the shortened version — offers tremendous support, training and some proprietary tools that allow us to make fair offers to our customers who wish to sell or trade us their previously owned LEGO sets,” he explained.
The LEGO brand dominates the toy field globally and continues to grow. In 2024, the company announced it had created its largest portfolio of offerings to date, with 840 products designed for builders of all ages and interests. Partnerships with iconic entertainment brands like Star Wars™ and Harry Potter™ have helped drive success. In 2024, consumer sales increased by 13%, resulting in nearly $12 billion in revenue.
While working with LEGO is big business, it’s the interaction with customers, new and old, that is the fun part for Fontenot.
“There is something for toddlers all the way to grandparents,” he said, “from the beginning hobbyist to the experienced collector. We offer brand-new, currently available LEGO sets, similar to the big box stores and the LEGO retail store, but from there we tend to stand out. For example, customers can browse over 5,000 categorized minifigures or ‘minifigs.’ We also carry dozens of brand-new, retired sets for the collector customers.”
It’s this all-inclusive approach that makes Bricks & Minifigs a must-visit for any LEGO lover.
“My favorite is our massive selection of pre-owned, built sets,” Fontenot said. “I know it sounds a bit odd, but it is one of the things that makes us unique. Customers can browse hundreds of sets to stroll down memory lane and remind them of the sets they had when they were younger or simply get a good visual of a set that they might have been considering, and the best part is that they are a fraction of the price compared to brand-new or retired sets.”
Looking for a specific piece to finish a masterpiece? Bricks & Minifigs has a bulk table you can browse. Looking to spend a little allowance money? The shop as a case of options that range from 25 cents to $10.
In addition to retail sales, Bricks & Minifigs hosts camps, special events, birthday parties, corporate gatherings and more. The shop’s 600-square-foot party room can accommodate 15 participants and a variety of programs for each occasion.
“All the parent have to do is bring the food, the kids and the gifts,” explains Fontenot. “We handle the decorations, the cleanup and the fun.
“Our main attraction for the parties is our 30-foot-long racetrack where the birthday guests see who can build the fastest cars and compete for prizes. During holiday breaks and summertime, we also host a variety of LEGO-inspired educational camps and classes throughout the year.”
Fontenot also uses contests and promotions to engage customers and encourage new visitors to the website and brick-and-mortar location. One example was a Carnival float-building contest.
Bricks & Minifigs currently has 10 employees, “eight of whom have been with me since we started the adventure at my dining room table over two years ago,” said Fontenot.
Employees are on hand to guide newcomers, answer questions and help with putting it all together, both literally and figuratively.
“After a few visits, our team will likely greet you by name or remember what you selected on your last visit,” he said. “If it’s your first time, they will likely take a few minutes and give you a tour of the store to make sure you don’t miss something special.”
For Fontenot, social media outreach has been an essential part of spreading the word about Bricks & Minifigs and to draw in customers from across the area and online.
“Something else our customers comment on all the time is our lighthearted, comical, silly, and downright ridiculous posts and reels, that are all done in house by our team,” he said. “They have so much fun with that. We focus most of our attention on Instagram and Facebook. We are looking to expand in the TikTok realm later this year. We also love that we have the opportunity to support so many customers hours or states away that visit our store. We have an online store with everything on the showroom, plus way more that we don’t have room to display. Customers can simply browse our selection before they come in or, they can secure their purchase of those desirable, and rare sets as soon as they see them. We offer nationwide shipping or in store pick up.”
When asked what’s next, Fontenot promises to build on his store’s success and hinting at plans for new projects in the near future.
“We are looking to always improve on that customer experience and build a closer relationship with all the folks who have supported our small little dream,” he said. :There are plans in the works to branch out and support other ‘capital’ markets in the very near future. Wink, wink.”
Bricks & Minifigs Metairie
701 Metairie Road // Suite 210
504-408-1661 // bricksandminifigs.com/metairie-la
@bammetairie
