Creator of the Punch Bowl Social “eatertainment” concept — which was included on Fast Company’s “Top 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World” list in 2019 — Robert Thompson moved to New Orleans in early 2021 and immediately got to work, purchasing the Frenchmen Hotel in June of that year. In early 2022, Thompson’s hospitality firm, Angevin & Co., partnered with GBX to purchase the Whitney Hotel from hotelier Joe Jaeger for $16.9 million. The Whitney is anticipated to re-open to guests in early 2023. In late June, the announcement that a second opening by the hotelier/restaurateur is also slated for 2023 — French Quarter Boulangerie will be taking over the building that formerly housed K Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen (416 Chartres Street). The 12,060-square-foot restaurant will offer “food hall-style counter service with a focus on fresh baked breads, pastries and iconic southern and classic French dishes.
“It’s a great opportunity for those who have an interest in sports and might want to make it a career. Meanwhile, we’re bringing together three communities that don’t actually know all that much about each other and building relationships.”
Arnie Fielkow, co-founder and board member of The Starting Block, a nonprofit focused on opening doors to non-athlete sports careers for young people, speaking to Biz New Orleans.com “Neighborhood Biz” blogger Keith Twitchell on June 30. The Starting Block’s free two-year program draws high school participants from the local Black, Jewish and Latino communities.
Episode 109
Jay Cicero on the Business of Hosting Major Sporting Events
The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation’s longtime president Jay Cicero, recent winner of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award, talks about what it takes to bring events like the Super Bowl to town — and keep them coming back for more.
Episode 108
A Reckoning for Short-Term Rental Operators?
Tammie Jackson, director of safety and permits for the City of New Orleans, shares how more investigators and new software will improve enforcement of short-term rental rules.
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