From L.A. to LA and beyond, Alex and Kim Gallego’s San Miguel de Allende Imports is bringing the colors and styles of old Mexico to St. Francisville
Alex and Kim Gallego are a couple on the move. For decades they have divided their time between two very different LA’s—St. Francisville, LA, and Pasadena, California—and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Now, the Gallegos are set to capitalize on their connection to all three communities when their new venture opens in St. Francisville. San Miguel de Allende Imports will offer a collection of antiques and decorative art items curated to capture the aesthetic and spirit of Spanish colonial Mexico.
The dream of opening a Louisiana-based store focused on Mexican and Spanish colonial art, antiques, and other design and decorative items, has been on the Gallegos’ drawing board for a long time. “We started planning basically twenty-five years ago, when we first started building our home,” Alex said. “We worked with a designer who helped us learn the process of acquiring old beams, old doors, old windows … we really learned the value of stone and metal and wood.”
During a visit to the Gallegos’ home in San Miguel de Allende, a small city in central Mexico beloved for breathtaking Spanish colonial architecture, captivating art, and bustling markets, friends and fellow St. Francisvillians Dennis and Marcie Hargroder listened as the Gallegos discussed their dream. As one of a group of entrepreneurs responsible for bringing the Circa 1857 Antiques and Vintage store to Baton Rouge’s Government Street, Hargroder could see the potential. “Dennis, with his retail experience opening Circa, said ‘We can do this,’ recalls Kim.
Fast forward to 2026, and San Miguel de Allende Imports is scheduled to open in St. Francisville’s historic West Feliciana Railroad Depot on December 3, during the long-running Christmas in the Country celebration. Bank of St Francisville played an integral role in making the Gallegos’ dream a reality, providing financing to purchase and renovate the c.1873 building, which is the oldest surviving structure from the Bayou Sara community. “BSF has been really important to us and our life,” said Kim. “It gave us the confidence that we could go after an opportunity—whether it be our first home in San Miguel, [or] different homes that we’ve bought.”
“It’s wonderful to work with BSF because they go the extra mile to figure out how it’s going to work,” she continued. “The West Feliciana Railroad Depot that we just bought was another example. We felt really certain, ‘yes, we can do it!’ And we know that the bank will help us get it done.”
“Bank of St. Francisville is able to uniquely cater to the specific needs for our customer base,” noted Melvin Harvey, Senior Vice President for Commercial Lending and the Gallegos’ banker for many years. “Not everything fits in a perfect box of traditional lending. That is what sets us apart for our small local business customers.”
To learn how a Bank of St. Francisville business loan or line of credit can help make your business dream a reality, visit bsf.net/service/business-lending
