The former Galatoire’s Bistro space at 17451 Perkins Road near Highland Road and Interstate 10, which sat vacant for several years after Galatoire’s closed that location, is once again without a tenant.
The Grill, a contemporary Creole restaurant that opened in the space last May, is no longer in business. The restaurant shut down earlier this month without explanation.
Restaurant owner Jay Sadeq, who also owns the Sombrero’s Mexican Restaurant chain, could not be reached for comment. However, commercial real estate broker George Kurz, who handles leasing for the shopping center, attributes the restaurant’s troubles to a couple of factors: It didn’t advertise or market itself, and it never established a unique identity.
“I think the biggest part of this is a promotional issue,” Kurz says. “I also think we have a pretty demanding food audience in Baton Rouge, and if they give you a chance for a while and things don’t go their way, they move on.”
Kurz says he doesn’t think the location in the easternmost edge of the parish has anything to do with The Grill’s failure, pointing out that nearby Ruffino’s and Roberto’s on River Road in St. Gabriel regularly draw huge crowds.
“It’s generally either the personality of who runs it or the food or an advertising campaign,” Kurz says of successful restaurants. “But you’ve got to have something.”
Kurz says a handful of potential tenants have expressed interest but no firm deals are forthcoming. After two unsuccessful restaurant ventures, Kurz says he’s wide open to trying something different in the space.
“It could be a retailer, or a yoga studio or a health club,” he says.
—Stephanie Riegel
