"This event continues to establish the Greater New Orleans region as a thought leader — attracting high-profile worldwide leaders in an emerging field and industry sector. "
Robin Barnes, executive vice president & COO of GNO, Inc., speaking about RES/CON New Orleans –— the premier annual international conference on the practice of successful resiliency and disaster management — which took place March 1-3 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, drawing over 700 public and private sector attendees.
New Flights out of MSY!
The following carriers have recently announced expanded air service out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport:
Branson AirExpress — to/from Branson, Missouri.
Seasonal service May 26 through August 14
JetBlue — to/from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Daily service begins September 29
Small Business Optimism Falls to 2-Year Low
Reflecting what NFIB Louisiana director Dawn Stearns called “a great deal of uncertainty about the economy,” the National Federation of Independent Business’ Small Business Optimism index fell to its lowest level in two years in February. After dropping one point during that month, the index stood at 92.9, significantly below the state’s 42-year average of 98.
Is Uber Hurting NOLA Taxi Service? New Data Weighs In
The City of New Orleans has released data that answers the question of how ridesharing has affected the local taxicab industry since it was approved in April of 2015. Data shows that taxis have not taken a significant hit in fares, while the overall use of for-hire transportation has increased to the tune of 1 million new trips. The data also shows that many ridesharing trips (currently only conducted by Uber) have been servicing historically less-served areas like Algiers and New Orleans East. Taxi revenues, meanwhile, have continued to increase annually since 2013.
Ochsner Receives Money for Expansion
Thanks to the support of more than 600 donors and the 2015 CN Miracle Match campaign — a charitable initiative designed to rally communities to support children’s hospitals in North America — Ochsner Hospital for Children celebrated the receipt of more than $625,000 for its Pediatric Intensive Care Unit expansion on March 9. CN agreed less than a year ago to match up to $300,000 in donations for the PICU, making Ochsner Hospital for Children only the second institution in the U.S. selected by the match program since its inception in 2006.
Recent Openings
NOLA BOARDS
The first storefront for NOLA BOARDS, a company specializing in handcrafted cutting boards, cheese boards, & chopping blocks, as well as custom countertop design, opened at 4304 Magazine Street on March 19. The store also showcases a variety of other artists and their handmade culinary and dining products, including hand-turned wood cheese knives, utensils, hand-blown glassware for the bar, local bitters and one-of-a kind lighting.
Standard Mortgage Corporation
The largest privately-held mortgage banker based in Louisiana, Standard Mortgage Corporation, opened its seventh location in the state at 2 Sanctuary Boulevard in Mandeville in January. The company’s home office is located in New Orleans’
One Shell Square and additional branch locations include Metairie, Slidell, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Shreveport.
B.B. King’s Blues Club
Taking over the space previously occupied by Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, B.B. King’s Blues Club opened at 1104 Decatur in the French Quarter on March 9. The restaurant and live music venue features Memphis BBQ and classic New Orleans dishes. This month the restaurant is launching a Zydeco brunch on Saturday and Blues brunch on Sunday.
Hyatt House New Orleans
New Orleans’ first extended stay Hyatt property, Hyatt House New Orleans, opened November 17, 2015, and that the grand opening event was held on February 24th at 1250 Poydras Street. Connected to the neighboring Hyatt Regency New Orleans via a second-floor sky bridge, Hyatt House is an adaptive reuse of a 24-story office building that now features 194 rooms stretching across seven floors.
Photo Riverview Photography
uBreakiFix
Specializing in same-day repair service of small electronics, uBreakiFix was founded in 2009 and currently has more than 170 locations across North America. The first of eight planned Louisiana locations (including four in New Orleans and four in Baton Rouge) opened at 2115 Magazine Street on March 12.
COMING SOON
Whole Foods Market – Mandeville
On May 18, Whole Foods Market will open its 40,000-square-foot location in Premier Centre at 3450 Highway 190. It is the company’s first location in Mandeville and sixth in the state.
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