Nola restaurant and bar renaissance

Of course it will. Many chefs and owners and staff will move to other jobs and positions for a time. Some will never come back to the restaurant industry, but as soon as there is demand again many will return and new talent will enter.

It'll take time, more time than after Katrina.

The reason: The whole world is going through this. Places all over the country are going to go under, it won't be concentrated in one spot where a bunch of people can move in and fill the void.

We will need to prove that tourism is making a come back, and it will happen over time.

I think we are looking at long term reduction in the amount of restaurants and especially bars, but hopefully the better ones will succeed and survive.

By best estimates, the population of the greater New Orleans area is around 1 million. By estimates of tourism industry leaders, the New Orleans region sees about 8-9 million people per year as visitors. We have something like 1300-1500 restaurants not including fast service chains. Maybe more, maybe less. All #s relative ballpark.

The question is more about when the tourist # gets back to that level. Many, if not almost all, restaurants rely on a steady flow of visitor, convention, special event business to make the numbers work. Think of a place like Antoine's. I bet a significant % of their revenue is driven by tourist spend, weddings, large events (mardi gras parties, deb balls, etc...) - wager 75-80%.

How long can places last until that spigot is turned back is the question no one knows. Then factor in each restaurant's unique ownership structure, whether they own real estate or not, employee and staffing concerns, public perception of dining out.

Gonna be anyone's guess as to what happens.

Better plan on waiting more than a few months

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Antoine's.

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I can't see how they are going to make it. I'm hoping that I am wrong.

I hadn’t thought much recently about the wedding industry and how much it means to Nola. A friend just had to cancel his wedding for next month that had already been delayed.
I don’t see many people wanting to have a wedding in Nola until next year. This is a huge hit to restaurants, reception facilities, catering companies, hotels, bars.

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A lot will depend on how long Latoya keeps us closed to tourists. She can't block them from coming, so she stopped them by closing everything that tourists come for.

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just saw an article that Philadelphia is cancelling all large gatherings until the end of February 2021. So no Thanksgiving Parade, Mummers Parade, etc.

It scares me that there is now precedent from a douchey "Progressive" Mayor to shut down things into next year. Toya gonna have something to chew on.

I assume most of the neighborhood bars will make it if Latoya will let them open back up in the next month or so.

Many places in the quarter and the WHD are screwed.

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There are always plenty of doctors and lawyers wives that want to open a restaurant...but, will there be enough experienced operators still in the game to keep them going?

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This is truly what sets cities like New Orleans apart in restaurants. Not just the talent in the kitchen, but top notch operators as well. Restaurants change can lose chefs midshift and customers hardly notice.

The best brewery in the city (arguably in the state), All Relations, closed its doors for good last weekend.