A new restaurant and bar, The Cocktail Hour and The Wolf, opened Thursday night in the French Quarter, bringing new energy to a historic Decatur Street space. This marks the first new business opening in an area where many businesses struggled, some closing permanently, amid a Sewerage and Water Board construction project that left barricades up for months.
The venue, located at Decatur and Ursulines, previously housed Storyville, Margaritaville and other businesses. The cocktail lounge welcomed its first customers just six weeks after the owners signed the lease.
“Some of the most incredible musicians in the world have played in this venue, including Dolly Parton, Ray Charles, Red Hot Chili Peppers,” managing partner John Stubbs said.
The team behind Jewel of the South and Turkey and the Wolf restaurants have come together to open this new venture.
“After having just closed down our restaurant, Hot Stuff, and then getting a call shortly thereafter from John to partner up with some people that I’ve looked up to pretty much my entire career is just something I couldn’t be more proud of,” Mason Hereford from Turkey and the Wolf said.
The Cocktail Hour and The Wolf will feature seasonal decor and a rotating cast of bartenders from around the world with a New Orleans spin. One of its signature drinks, the Cala Negroni, is based on the local pastry cala.
” kind of like a beignet, but the base is like a rice fritter that’s usually covered in powdered sugar,” Shannon Brandon, head of beverage production, said.
At a ribbon-cutting Thursday, Mayor Helena Moreno credited the expedited permitting process for the business’s quick turnaround from concept to opening.
“The city of New Orleans is open for business,” Moreno said.
City officials also announced plans to launch a permitting concierge program to help new businesses obtain permits faster.
Although businesses on Decatur Street have faced significant challenges in recent months due to construction barricades that blocked customer access, the owners of The Cocktail Hour and The Wolf said they are optimistic about the future.
“We’re excited about bringing more people here,” Stubbs said. “I think that if you’re in New Orleans, you do believe that the rising tide lifts all boats and that, you know, more investment in the city, more attention on this part of the quarter will be good for everyone.”
To support recovery efforts, the city has opened the second round of applications for business stabilization grants, which aim to help French Quarter businesses recover from the construction-related losses.
READ MORE:New French Quarter bar revives historic Decatur Street space
