If you CAN stand the heat: Amarys Koenig Herndon and Jordan Herndon of Palm&Pine
A BRUTAL HEAT: HOW RESTAURATEURS AND CHEFS SURVIVE AUGUST IN NEW ORLEANS
By Beth D'Addono
From a city-wide culinary trail to late night collabs and marquee events, chefs weigh in on how to survive the city's toughest month
August in New Orleans is the nemesis of every chef, server, bartender and restaurant owner in the city. Summer’s hottest, hurricane-prone month is inevitable, and once the spike in business that Tales of the Cocktail brings is past, the dog days of August loom large: a hospitality horror show waiting in the wings.
The reality of an epic drop in business over a long, 30-day stretch sees resources at a breaking point for most. Bills and stress pile up in equal measure. For others, facing that sea of red is the last straw, with restaurants like Ancora, Justine and Rosella closing the doors for good as a way to cut losses. What’s a restaurateur to do? From attracting out of town visitors from nearby regions to conjuring a slew of specials and events, chefs try to make it work. Special, month-long promos like COOLinary can help. At least it’s a start.
“Summer is absolutely brutal,” says chef Ashwin Vilkhu, who co-owns Saffron Nola (a fine dining Indian restaurant) with his parents Arvinder and Pardeep Vilkhu. After a year of construction, the chef also opened The Kingsway (a contemporary, Asian prix-fixe) in May. While a brand new restaurant can have its advantages - at least for its first August - that’s never guaranteed. “I work hard to stay positive and keep my team energized,” he said. Changing the menu up, adding specials to generate a little buzz, is another strategy. Vilkhu thinks the city should consider more marquee events in August - anything to bring more out of town visitors to town when they are needed most.
Southern Hotel executive chef Alex Harrell uses the month for R&D. “I take the down time in the restaurant to get creative with developing menu items and staff training,” says the chef, whose resume includes stints at Virgin Hotels New Orleans and Hotel Peter and Paul. “We do a lot of detailed cleaning and reorganizing in the kitchen. I reevaluate our menus and operational procedures to make sure that we are minimizing our cost without sacrificing guest experience.” Harrell is a big believer in planning ahead. Can a 10-month business model work? “Maybe you close the dining room during those months and transition into a ghost kitchen/meal prep/catering operation while staff take staggered vacations.”
Bringing more off-season business to the city is a frequent topic of conversation. “It’s going to take getting business, city and community leaders to come together under a clear vision of growth to drive more business," says Harrell. "City government has cannibalized the tourism and hospitality industry by trying to squeeze as much revenue out as possible. The city makes it so hard for small businesses to succeed. City leaders should be incentivizing small businesses and start-ups to open.”
Keeping cool, literally and figuratively, is a big goal, says chef Fariz Choumali, who oversees the kitchen at Shaya in New Orleans and Tavi in Covington. “It’s all about hydration, teamwork, and staying ahead in prep. I also rely on seasonal menus to keep things light and fresh for both guests and staff. And when things get crazy? I stay calm and cook with love.” As to broader strategies, he imagines a 'Summer Tasting Trail', a city-wide culinary experience where restaurants create exclusive summer dishes or prix fixe menus. “Pair that with live music, late-night hours and collabs between chefs and local farms to highlight seasonal ingredients. Make food the reason people come out, even in the heat.”
Although chef Cristina Quackenbush recently closed Tatlo, her spirited Filipino bar and bistro in the French Quarter, she is undeterred from her hospitality mission. “My survival skills for the summer is obsessing about our locals," she says. "Showing value and building community helps to build long standing support. Being in the Quarter for a year, I found that you cannot depend on tourists. We need policy changes for summer business.”
This is the second August for chef Julio Machado at his elevated Venezuelan bistro Origen in Bywater. How does he stay alive during the slowest month of the year? “Cutting operational costs to the bare minimum and creating special promotions to bring more guests in,” says the chef. Beyond events, he sees strategic partnerships between hotels and restaurants to create prepaid gastronomic routes as a way forward. “I’d promote these routes globally. It’s time to start shaping the culture that New Orleans is the place to eat like royalty during summer.”
Kimpton Fontenot executive chef Sam Peery got a little boost with Tales’ activations, but August looms. “The heat isn’t going anywhere. We should do what they do in other hot places like Bangkok, have night markets that bring people out after the sun goes down.”
Chef Laura Collins worked at Hotel Saint Vincent before she became chef de cuisine at Joel’s Catering. Her strategy is to create a fund for the team when business is good. “This is a reserve to keep staff paid and bills taken care of for the slow season. It's the best survival skill available without risk,” she says.
Staying lean, deepening local relationships and diversifying her income stream is what works for chef Anh Lau, who went private after working in restaurants including the now shuttered Bywater Brew Pub. She’s working pop ups and events, selling bottles of her Xanh sauce at Veggie Farmers Co-op and hoping for the best. “You really have to hustle to make it these days. But even if you do, there’s no guarantee you will. Restaurants really need their community during the slower months.”
Palm & Pine owners and co-chefs Amarys Koenig Herndon and Jordan Herndon are keeping all the balls in the air for August. From private events to drag and burlesque parties to farmers market demos and collab dinners, the chefs are doing All The Things. “We’re really feeling the pressure and struggle as we make tought decisions,” they wrote in their restaurant newsletter. "We also feel grateful. Sometimes it feels like we’re just barely making it - but we’re making it!"
How can you help?
Dining out, spreading the love to independent restaurants, sampling COOLinary menus, buying gift cards and booking parties in advance of the holidays are all ways to keep restaurants afloat.
Show up at the Broadside August 28th, 6-11 pm, for Savor the City. Organized by Paradigm Garden co-owner/founder Joel Tilton, the event is a night of elevated cuisine, live entertainment, craft cocktails, and deep purpose. Tickets (including fees) are $73.21, all of which goes directly into the pockets of independent New Orleans restaurants in crisis. Participants include Southerns, Mister Mao, Queen Trini Lisa, Fritai, Here Today, Fritai and more.
Beth D'Addono is a food writer based in New Orleans. Her latest book, City Eats: New Orleans ($22.99, published by Harper Collins Focus), is out now. Read more about this amazing book - click here!
By Beth D'Addono
From a city-wide culinary trail to late night collabs and marquee events, chefs weigh in on how to survive the city's toughest month
August in New Orleans is the nemesis of every chef, server, bartender and restaurant owner in the city. Summer’s hottest, hurricane-prone month is inevitable, and once the spike in business that Tales of the Cocktail brings is past, the dog days of August loom large: a hospitality horror show waiting in the wings.
The reality of an epic drop in business over a long, 30-day stretch sees resources at a breaking point for most. Bills and stress pile up in equal measure. For others, facing that sea of red is the last straw, with restaurants like Ancora, Justine and Rosella closing the doors for good as a way to cut losses. What’s a restaurateur to do? From attracting out of town visitors from nearby regions to conjuring a slew of specials and events, chefs try to make it work. Special, month-long promos like COOLinary can help. At least it’s a start.
“Summer is absolutely brutal,” says chef Ashwin Vilkhu, who co-owns Saffron Nola (a fine dining Indian restaurant) with his parents Arvinder and Pardeep Vilkhu. After a year of construction, the chef also opened The Kingsway (a contemporary, Asian prix-fixe) in May. While a brand new restaurant can have its advantages - at least for its first August - that’s never guaranteed. “I work hard to stay positive and keep my team energized,” he said. Changing the menu up, adding specials to generate a little buzz, is another strategy. Vilkhu thinks the city should consider more marquee events in August - anything to bring more out of town visitors to town when they are needed most.
Southern Hotel executive chef Alex Harrell uses the month for R&D. “I take the down time in the restaurant to get creative with developing menu items and staff training,” says the chef, whose resume includes stints at Virgin Hotels New Orleans and Hotel Peter and Paul. “We do a lot of detailed cleaning and reorganizing in the kitchen. I reevaluate our menus and operational procedures to make sure that we are minimizing our cost without sacrificing guest experience.” Harrell is a big believer in planning ahead. Can a 10-month business model work? “Maybe you close the dining room during those months and transition into a ghost kitchen/meal prep/catering operation while staff take staggered vacations.”
Bringing more off-season business to the city is a frequent topic of conversation. “It’s going to take getting business, city and community leaders to come together under a clear vision of growth to drive more business," says Harrell. "City government has cannibalized the tourism and hospitality industry by trying to squeeze as much revenue out as possible. The city makes it so hard for small businesses to succeed. City leaders should be incentivizing small businesses and start-ups to open.”
Keeping cool, literally and figuratively, is a big goal, says chef Fariz Choumali, who oversees the kitchen at Shaya in New Orleans and Tavi in Covington. “It’s all about hydration, teamwork, and staying ahead in prep. I also rely on seasonal menus to keep things light and fresh for both guests and staff. And when things get crazy? I stay calm and cook with love.” As to broader strategies, he imagines a 'Summer Tasting Trail', a city-wide culinary experience where restaurants create exclusive summer dishes or prix fixe menus. “Pair that with live music, late-night hours and collabs between chefs and local farms to highlight seasonal ingredients. Make food the reason people come out, even in the heat.”
Although chef Cristina Quackenbush recently closed Tatlo, her spirited Filipino bar and bistro in the French Quarter, she is undeterred from her hospitality mission. “My survival skills for the summer is obsessing about our locals," she says. "Showing value and building community helps to build long standing support. Being in the Quarter for a year, I found that you cannot depend on tourists. We need policy changes for summer business.”
This is the second August for chef Julio Machado at his elevated Venezuelan bistro Origen in Bywater. How does he stay alive during the slowest month of the year? “Cutting operational costs to the bare minimum and creating special promotions to bring more guests in,” says the chef. Beyond events, he sees strategic partnerships between hotels and restaurants to create prepaid gastronomic routes as a way forward. “I’d promote these routes globally. It’s time to start shaping the culture that New Orleans is the place to eat like royalty during summer.”
Kimpton Fontenot executive chef Sam Peery got a little boost with Tales’ activations, but August looms. “The heat isn’t going anywhere. We should do what they do in other hot places like Bangkok, have night markets that bring people out after the sun goes down.”
Chef Laura Collins worked at Hotel Saint Vincent before she became chef de cuisine at Joel’s Catering. Her strategy is to create a fund for the team when business is good. “This is a reserve to keep staff paid and bills taken care of for the slow season. It's the best survival skill available without risk,” she says.
Staying lean, deepening local relationships and diversifying her income stream is what works for chef Anh Lau, who went private after working in restaurants including the now shuttered Bywater Brew Pub. She’s working pop ups and events, selling bottles of her Xanh sauce at Veggie Farmers Co-op and hoping for the best. “You really have to hustle to make it these days. But even if you do, there’s no guarantee you will. Restaurants really need their community during the slower months.”
Palm & Pine owners and co-chefs Amarys Koenig Herndon and Jordan Herndon are keeping all the balls in the air for August. From private events to drag and burlesque parties to farmers market demos and collab dinners, the chefs are doing All The Things. “We’re really feeling the pressure and struggle as we make tought decisions,” they wrote in their restaurant newsletter. "We also feel grateful. Sometimes it feels like we’re just barely making it - but we’re making it!"
How can you help?
Dining out, spreading the love to independent restaurants, sampling COOLinary menus, buying gift cards and booking parties in advance of the holidays are all ways to keep restaurants afloat.
Show up at the Broadside August 28th, 6-11 pm, for Savor the City. Organized by Paradigm Garden co-owner/founder Joel Tilton, the event is a night of elevated cuisine, live entertainment, craft cocktails, and deep purpose. Tickets (including fees) are $73.21, all of which goes directly into the pockets of independent New Orleans restaurants in crisis. Participants include Southerns, Mister Mao, Queen Trini Lisa, Fritai, Here Today, Fritai and more.
Beth D'Addono is a food writer based in New Orleans. Her latest book, City Eats: New Orleans ($22.99, published by Harper Collins Focus), is out now. Read more about this amazing book - click here!