The owners of Bonanno’s Fine Catering, Yvette Marie’s Café and Mellow Mushroom are aiming to re-open The House Dining Room in the state Capitol on March 14, says the Bruno Restaurant Group co-owner Jay Bruno. “In about two weeks we’ll be rockin’ and rollin’,” Bruno says. “In the meantime, we have a tremendous amount of work to do in terms of permitting, working with vendors and hiring people.” The Louisiana House of Representatives recently awarded the Bruno group the contract to operate the cafeteria; eight other restaurateurs also made bids for the contract. They will pay $1,000 a month to operate the 79-year-old facility, which has been shuttered since Jan. 1, following the death of longtime operator Jim Leming. The number of new hires is still to be determined, Bruno says, noting the company is looking into an inmate rehabilitation program to fill some positions. “We’re going to embrace that program, and we will need to hire quite a few more people to make this thing work,” he says.
The dining room will be open 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with extended hours for legislative sessions and catering available for in-house events. Hot and cold breakfasts and lunches will be served, Bruno says, with a full grill and plate lunches. The Bruno group has the option to change the cafeteria’s name, but for now it’s sticking with tradition. “At least in the short term, we’re going to continue with The House Dining Room,” Bruno says. “But we will look at renaming it down the road.” —Steve Sanoski
