Downtown Living: January 2017
Business: Sazerac Company Plans CBD Beverage Museum
The largest distilling company in the country recently bought two buildings on the corner of Magazine and Canal streets with the intent of creating The Sazerac House, a tourist-centric beverage museum. Founded in 1869, The Sazerac Company began with the Sazerac Coffee House on Exchange Alley in the French Quarter and has grown into a spirits behemoth owning such distilleries as Barton Brands, Buffalo Trace Distillery and Glenmore Distillery in Kentucky and the A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Virginia.
The two buildings purchased by The Sazerac Company have sat dormant for more than 30 years and date back to the mid-1800s. The distillery plans massive renovations for the historic buildings, retaining rich architectural aspects like the huge windows, hardwood floors and high ceilings. When complete, The Sazerac House will be a place where visitors can learn all about the Sazerac cocktail, as well as our city’s singular role in the country’s history of cocktail culture. The buildings will also include a gift shop and more office space for 60 employees, 45 of which will be new positions. sazerac.com
Neighborhood: 5th Annual Downtown NOLA Arts-Based Business Pitch
During New Orleans Entrepreneur Week 2017, the Downtown Development District, Creative Alliance of New Orleans and the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation will host the 5th annual Downtown NOLA Arts-Based Business Pitch in strategic partnership with Idea Village. In an effort to discover and support entrepreneurs with arts-based projects or products that both spotlight and benefit the downtown neighborhood, the DDD and its partners will provide a prize valued at more than $35,000 to the winner, consisting of cash, plus numerous hours of legal, accounting, public relations and marketing services. Deadline for pitch submissions is Jan. 25. downtownnola.com
Style: Hair Loft Studio
Now open in The Beacon at South Market District, Hair Loft is a L’Oréal Salon recently launched by owners Maritza Valle from New York and New Orleans native Nichole Lobo. The new salon features Kerastase and Shu Uemura products, and offers the latest hair trends like balayage and ombré color treatments, men’s grooming, special occasion styling and nourishing hair treatments. Hair Loft also offers services like make-up application, waxing and chemical hair treatments like relaxers and perms. 1000 Girod St., Ste. B-7, (504) 895-2911, hairloftnola.com
Dining: Magasin Kitchen
Open for a year now in the Paramount Building in New Orleans’ South Market District, Magasin Kitchen is a sibling of the frequently packed Magasin Vietnamese Cafe located Uptown on Magazine Street. Owner Kim Nguyen offers many of the same dishes available at the Uptown restaurant, plus several home-style items that aren’t frequently found around town. Among familiar selections like pho and banh mi, Magasin Kitchen also features stir-fries finished table-side, congee with salted pork and several other Vietnamese rice dishes that resemble Korean bibimbap. Magasin Kitchen is open daily. 611 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 571-5677, magasincafe.com
All-in-One: Rouler Cafe
Designed to offer a multipurpose environment, Rouler Cafe on Baronne Street is a cyclist’s haven and a whole lot more. Owner Wes McWhorter combined all of his favorite things together, so Rouler features cycling accessories (including a proprietary line of custom-made jerseys), home repair service, and a large meeting space with free wifi and French Truck Coffee. Morning pastries and breads are sourced from Gracious Bakery along with Urban South Brewery beer and Squadra wine from Boulder, Colo. The cafe is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., offering everything from breakfast to dinner with items like quinoa salad and charcuterie to sandwiches named after famous cyclists — such as the Gino Bartali (a grilled cheese served on rye with fresh tomato) and the Lance Armstrong (a house made chicken salad sandwich with Dijon and pickles). 601 Baronne St., (504) 603-2781, rouler.cc