“We are a local restaurant that depends heavily on the local population.”
Serving that population successfully is why the Olive Branch Café has been a Westbank institution for more than 25 years.
Owner Rusty Autry — who, at age 21 already had several years of experience in the restaurant business — opened the original Marrero location. Growth came quickly, and Autry moved Olive Branch to its current location on Barataria Boulevard in 2000. A second restaurant in Algiers followed in 2002.
The menu for both locations is classic Italian.
“We are definitely a pizza place, but we’ve become known for our pastas and salads,” said Autry. While there is no shortage of competition in the pizza space, Autry said the key to his business is customization.
“We make everything to order, so customers can really customize their orders – custom pastas as well as custom pizzas,” he said. “It’s rare that the kitchen gets a ticket without some level of modification, but our customers appreciate us more because they know we are catering to them.”
Autry reviews ZIP code data from credit card sales to determine that between 65% and 75% of his business comes from the Westbank, though he’s noticed an uptick in tourist business, which he credits to his online presence. Visitors enjoying swamp tours and charter fishing expeditions, and even traveling youth sports teams are increasingly coming through the doors.
Marketing online is just one example of how Autry’s business savvy has benefited his restaurants. When COVID hit, Olive Branch had already been filling a significant number of online and carry-out orders.
“The pandemic was hard on a lot of businesses, but we didn’t suffer as much,” he recounted. “Our customers stayed loyal, we had our systems in place, and I was able to retain all of my staff.”
Similarly, while staffing post-pandemic is Autry’s biggest challenge, he experiences fewer issues than many restaurants with his staff of 45.
“We’ve always paid at the higher end of the wage scale, though we did have to step that up a little more,” he said in explaining why he is successful at retaining staff. “I’ve been able to keep my standards up as a result.”
Autry said he is mindful of things like getting work schedules out early and paying people promptly, which seem obvious but are not universal in the service industry.
“There are people who worked for me in the past that I now have their children working for me,” he said.
This type of community connection is beneficial for any business, and Autry nurtures that carefully, supporting many local organizations.
“I don’t run from making donations because I’ve built it into my business model,” he said.
“When you support us, you are supporting your community.”
And then there is the name. Autry’s father was a pastor, and Autry is active in his church, a background he combined with his cuisine style in coming up with Olive Branch Café.
“Olives are an Italian staple, but I also liked the idea of the olive branch as a symbol of peace,” he recalled. “I wanted the name to reflect the idea of a place that is welcoming and open to all.”
Olive Branch Café
5145 General de Gaulle Drlve // Algiers //(504) 393-1107
1995 Barataria Blvd. // Marrero // (504) 348-2008
OliveBranchCafe.com
