Business phone system for book stores in Louisiana
65 book stores operated in Louisiana in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.
- Establishments
- 65CBP 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 1.4U.S. 1.7
- State rank
- 30th of 51by count
Book stores in Louisiana by the numbers
The Census Bureau counted 65 book stores in Louisiana in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 451211). That is the 30th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Book stores make up 0.06% of the 108,561 business establishments in the state.
Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Louisiana has 1.4 book stores, 14.6% below the national rate of 1.7.
| Measure | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 65 | 5,629 |
| Mid-March employees | 594 (high noise) | 48,997 (high noise) |
| Annual payroll | $11,305,000 (high noise) | $1,132,707,000 (moderate noise) |
| Employees per establishment | — | — |
| Payroll per employee | — | — |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.7 |
Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Where book stores in Louisiana are concentrated
Census published bookstore counts for 8 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Louisiana. The largest is New Orleans, LA, with 21 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 89% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.
| Area | Establishments | Employees | Per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | 21 | — | 2.2 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 9 | 158 | 1.0 |
| Shreveport, LA | 7 | — | 1.8 |
| Lafayette, LA | 6 | — | 1.4 |
| Slidell, LA | 4 | — | 1.4 |
| Monroe, LA | 4 | — | 1.8 |
| Hammond, LA | 4 | — | 2.9 |
| Ruston, LA | 3 | — | 6.2 |
Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Team sizes at book stores in Louisiana
43.8% of Louisiana's book stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 49.8% nationally. 70.3% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 28 | 43.8% | 49.8% |
| 5–9 employees | 17 | 26.6% | 21.7% |
| 10–19 employees | 9 | 14.1% | 14.2% |
| 20–49 employees | 10 | 15.6% | 12.9% |
| 50 or more employees | 0 | 0.0% | 1.4% |
Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Calls a bookstore in Louisiana has to catch
Independent bookstores take calls about special orders, events and stock. Personal service is part of what they offer. That holds for book stores in Louisiana as much as anywhere.
A few of the calls that come in to book stores in Louisiana:
- A customer calls about an author event.
- The store calls a customer when an order arrives.
- A customer calls about gift cards.
Business texting for book stores
Bookstores text special-order notices.
Texting from a local number in Louisiana requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.
Phone system pricing for a 2-person bookstore
The comparison uses a 2-person team, the rounded U.S. average for book stores. Priced per seat, 2 users would run $60.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $49.90 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). Callata costs $99.00 a month ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), so at this team size both per-seat plans are cheaper; Callata drops below them from 4 users.
At this team size the per-seat plans cost less than Callata's $99 base price, which already covers 5 users; Callata becomes the lower price from 4 users.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $99.00 | $1,188.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $38.00 | $456.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $46.00 | $552.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $49.90 | $598.80 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $54.00 | $648.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $60.00 | $720.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Area codes in Louisiana
Louisiana has 6 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a bookstore can hold a number in more than one of them.
| Area code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 318 | 764 | Central | 1957 | 457 |
| 337 | 599 | Central | 1999 | none |
| 504 | 563 | Central | 1947 | none |
| 225 | 501 | Central | 1998 | none |
| 985 | 447 | Central | 2001 | none |
| 457 | 0 | Central | 2025 | 318 |
Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.
How Callata works for book stores in Louisiana
For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.
Porting a number you already use in Louisiana is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.
AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.
Frequently asked questions
How many book stores are in Louisiana?
65 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns.
Which Louisiana metro area has the most book stores?
New Orleans, LA, with 21 establishments in 2023.
What does a phone system cost a 2-person bookstore?
$60.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $49.90 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $99.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).
Do I need to register to text customers from a Louisiana number?
Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.