NEW ORLEANS – Yelp New Orleans and fabric and sewing studio, Chateau Sew & Sew on Magazine street is helping local chefs beat the heat with its hand-sewn, Cool Ties.

Owner of Chateau Sew & Sew, Karen Flournoy, says, “Last year we partnered with Yelp to send cool ties to the troops overseas.” This year, they decided to extend their gratitude to New Orleans’ chefs during Chef’s Appreciation Week, August 12-18.

Yelp Nola Community Director, Morgan Lewis, says, “They’re still working these outdoor festivals and kitchens are hotter this time of year.”

The Cool Ties are unlike a basic handkerchief because they are filled with polymer crystals. When soaked in water for 15 minutes, they stay cooler longer.

A Yelp event was held on August 14 at the sewing studio, where community members made these Cool Ties to have them passed out to nearly 40 local chefs on Chef’s Appreciation Day, August 16. Lewis says, “We’ll also be attaching a chef shout out which is a quote from a local review telling us how much we love our local chefs.”

Flournoy adds, “We think it’s important to volunteer and give back to our community.”

The ties are made of Louisiana themed fabrics, like crawfish and Mardi Gras, as well as fun tropical prints too.

If you’re interested in purchasing a tie, they are $7.95 at Chateau Sew & Sew, located at 2103 Magazine Street. You can also have one made in the fabric print of your choice. For every tie you purchase, they donate one to a troop overseas.