Chad Hughes, who owns various bars and restaurants in the downtown and Perkins Overpass areas, has filed an application to rezone, from “light commercial” to “commercial alcoholic beverage,” a 0.35-acre property on Perkins Road, across the street from his Bumsteers rooftop burger joint.
The vacant property, located at the corner of Perkins and Hollydale Avenue, had been the longtime home of a Cracker Barrel service station before Circle K shut it down last September. In his rezoning application, Hughes identifies “opening a restaurant” as justification for his request, listing Unleaded BBQ LLC as the applying business. However, he tells Daily Report plans for the space remain uncertain.
“My partner and I don’t even know what we’re doing with the space yet—no name, no concept, no construction plans. We don’t even know if it will be a restaurant,” Hughes says in a text message. “We are many months away from opening whatever it may be.”
Records show he registered Unleaded BBQ LLC with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office in mid-June.
Also listed as a manager and member of the LLC is Edwin Edwards, the grandson of former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards. Together, Hughes and Edwards already own Ivar’s Sports Bar and Grill, which is also located in the Perkins Overpass area.
John Mangano, whose J. Monaco LLC owns the property, could not be reached for comment before this morning’s deadline.
The Planning Commission will take up the item at its Aug. 17 meeting.
