Louisiana data center project lifts small-business revenue in Richland Parish

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Louisiana data center boosts revenue

Highlights

Meta's Hyperion data center in Holly Ridge will cover nearly 10 million square feet and support over 7,500 jobs at peak construction, driving significant local business growth.
Richland Parish annual sales tax revenue rises from $21 million in 2024 to $39 million in 2025, with projections of $92 million by end of 2026, reflecting broad economic impact.
A June Grow NELA study projects $162.9 million in sales tax revenue for local and state governments from consumer spending and capital investment during the construction phase.

Worker influx drives local business expansion

As first reported by Business Insider, Meta says its Hyperion data center in Holly Ridge will span nearly 10 million square feet and support more than 7,500 jobs at peak construction, creating a wave of spending in an area long dominated by agriculture.

Business owners across nearby communities say the project is reviving commercial activity after years of decline. In Rayville, restaurant owner Tim Allen says storefronts had gradually closed before Meta announced the project in 2024, but new ventures have since opened, including Holy Tacosd in April 2025.

HeBrews Coffee & Eats says traffic has risen sharply as crews pass through the area. The company, which opened its Rayville cafe in 2021, says it now serves far more customers than in its early years and opened a food truck in Holly Ridge in 2025 specifically to serve demand generated by the Meta site.

Ice Queen, founded in 2025, also grows out of the construction boom. The business began by selling bags of ice near the work site but has expanded into a broader supply operation for subcontractors, including water, coffee supplies, appliances and other essentials for outdoor crews working through repeated summer heat waves.

Sales tax gains highlight broader economic effect

Local officials say the boom is becoming visible in public revenue as well as in private sales. Robert Cleveland, president and CEO of economic development authority Grow NELA, says data collected by the group shows Richland Parish annual sales tax revenue rises from $21 million in 2024 to $39 million in 2025, and is expected to reach $92 million by the end of 2026.

Part of that growth comes from businesses meeting basic workforce needs. Parish Line Properties says it expands its mobile home park and rental inventory to house workers, with units secured by deposits before some homes are even installed. Owners say proximity matters because many workers are putting in six or seven days a week and shifts of more than 12 hours.

Food and catering operators are also benefiting. HeBrews says it regularly delivers large breakfast and lunch orders to the site, while Holy Tacos says catering linked to the project accounts for roughly 40% of monthly business. Ice Queen says water deliveries are now a major revenue source, with hydration products in high demand because of the heat and humidity.

A June study commissioned by Grow NELA says consumer spending and capital investment during construction will generate $162.9 million in sales tax revenue at local and state levels. Louisiana Economic Development says work on the Richland Parish site is expected to continue through 2030, though business owners are already weighing how to adapt once construction crews eventually leave.

Kinergy’s RM47.5 million electrical subcontract for a hyperscale data center in Port Dickson highlighted how rapidly expanding data center investment is pushing up demand for high-capacity power infrastructure. Our earlier article detailed the scope of work—substations, transformers, power distribution, cabling, backup systems and EV charging—with completion targeted for Q1 2028, and noted that Malaysia’s approved data center and cloud investments reached RM95.8 billion in H1 2026.

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