NEW ORLEANS – Twenty-five years after opening Restaurant August, BRG Hospitality is marking a milestone year defined by expansion and continued investment across Louisiana, including the recent opening of Feliciana Bistrôt in Covington and a growing regional portfolio of dining concepts.
Octavio Mantilla, co-founder and co-owner of BRG Hospitality, said the company’s growth has always been tied to the trajectory of the region and the pivotal moments impacting local communities.
“Our approach is more about resilience than it is about specific moments tied to the company,” Mantilla said. “It’s the resilience through Katrina. It’s the resilience through the BP oil spill. It’s the resilience through COVID. These things affect our culture, our city, our people and we have always taken those moments to create something new.”
After Hurricane Katrina, BRG Hospitality made a deliberate decision to invest in downtown New Orleans because “it had nothing – it was under water.” That led to the opening of Luke, the Creole-inspired brasserie in the CBD, in 2007.
Mantilla said the company’s outlook is always about trying to build things up and is the same pioneering motivation that led to the opening of Delacroix on the riverfront.
“We decided to open Delacroix because we wondered why there wasn’t a single standing restaurant on the Mississippi River in the City of New Orleans,” Mantilla said. “That needs to change, not only to bring the local people to the river but also for tourists to stumble into the history of the river.”
Northshore Expansion
That investment mindset continues with the company’s newest expansion on the Northshore. Mantilla said BRG Hospitality opened Feliciana Bistrôt in mid-February in downtown Covington, along with the accompanying rooftop wine bar concept called Paradise Cocktail Lounge in the same building, which will open on Feb. 28.
“Walker Percy lived in Covington. We wanted to tie in some of that local flair to the restaurant. That’s why it’s called Feliciana – it’s a town in one of his books,” said Mantilla. “Paradise upstairs is another town in one of Percy’s books.”
Mantilla said he wanted to help tell the story through food. “We’re excited about this, for Covington and the team. Tavi, another one of our restaurant’s, is next door. It’s about bringing that prime location in the corner back to life.”
A Quarter Century of Growth
The Covington opening comes as the company celebrates 25 years since launching its first restaurant, August, founded by Mantilla and his business partner, chef and restaurateur John Besh.
Set within a restored 19th-century building, August has been included in the Michelin 2025 American South Guide, the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence and a World of Fine Wine award. Executive Chef Corey Thomas leads a contemporary Creole kitchen that combines southern Louisiana dishes prepared with French technique.
“This is a big pinnacle for BRG Hospitality,” said Mantilla. “It has been 25 years since we started. We’ll celebrate every month. This is our first restaurant, and it helped us build our team. It’s a big deal, with John in the kitchen and me in the front, starting from there and growing the company.”
Mantilla and his partner, John Besh, were recently honored with the 2026 Restaurateur of the Year Louey Award from the Louisiana Travel Association, recognizing their impact on Louisiana’s tourism economy and leadership in hospitality. Mantilla said it was a real team effort.
“It’s an honor not just for us but for the entire BRG Hospitality team,” said Mantilla. “It’s great to celebrate our culture and Louisiana food.”
For Mantilla, the anniversary also carries personal significance.
“My restaurant career started in the August building,” said Mantilla. “I was a bus boy there. It’s a big deal for me to start out there, bussing tables, then come back to it later and buy it and keep it going forward. It’s a source of pride for us.”
Investing in Louisiana Producers
Mantilla said BRG’s long-term growth strategy has always been tied to supporting Louisiana producers and suppliers.
“Supporting local vendors is very important and it has always been ingrained in our company since we first started with the first restaurant,” said Mantilla. “We support the farmers, we’ve provided loans to small farmers to help them get through difficult times.”
He said the commitment extends beyond branding and into purchasing decisions that align with seasonal availability and regional supply chains.
“We serve crawfish during crawfish season. We’re not buying it from China. We support our vendors. We buy strawberries when strawberries are available. We use local ingredients to propel all of us and that’s important,” he said.
BRG Hospitality – A Diversified Restaurant Platform
From its original flagship, August, BRG has expanded its New Orleans portfolio to include Luke; Domenica, the Italian restaurant located in The Roosevelt Hotel; Shaya, its Middle Eastern-inspired concept; Willa Jean, a bakery and all-day restaurant; and Delacroix, a seafood-focused restaurant along the riverfront.
Beyond New Orleans, BRG operates Tavi and the recently opened Feliciana Bistrôt in Covington with the adjoining rooftop wine bar, Paradise Cocktail Lounge, as well as Eunice, a Gulf Coast-driven concept in Houston, Texas. The group also maintains Pizza Domenica, its casual wood-fired pizza concept with multiple locations.
