After an extensive renovation, the former Zee Zee Garden’s building at 2904 Perkins Road is complete and will reopen as a gastropub called The Merchant.
Though the establishment will not officially open until later this month, owners Lon Marchand and Nick Hufft have obtained a special events permit so they can open their new patio beer garden for Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.
‘We’re excited to finally say we have permitting and will be open outside during the parade this weekend,” says Marchand. “While the dates remain flexible, we are hoping for a grand opening before the end of March.”
Marchand, a Baton Rouge native who previously worked in the advertising industry, and Hufft, who owns Curbside Burgers, have been working nonstop since late December to get the 1,430-square-foot building ready for this weekend.
Once The Merchant permanently opens, it will serve lunch and dinner daily, with a late-night menu Wednesday through Saturday and brunch on the weekends.
“We want to do a good lunch menu, which will transition into upscale bar snacks and a smaller selection of entrees at night,” Hufft says. “Expect to see meat and cheese boards, a group of Farmers Market Salads, a big half-pound burger, a play on French Onion soup, a meatball of the week, and a few entrees like fish tacos and maybe even a locally sourced steak and frites.”
The bar will feature a large selection of canned beers and 12 taps, as well as house wines on tap, traditional cocktails and a house frozen drink. The patio beer garden will have several picnic tables for larger groups and an 18-seat bar top.
“It’s one of the best corners in the city,” Marchand says. “I’m excited for folks to see what we’ve done with the place.”
The 85-year-old building that is now home to The Merchant is owned by Kevin Reilly Jr. The cost of the renovation exceeded $300,000.
Hufft and Curbside Burgers are also leaving both Barcadia locations in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, effective March 18.
“I’ve enjoyed the last three years and growing that food program to where it is today,” Hufft says in a text message. “But it was mutually agreed upon that with the opening of Curbside Mid City in October, it’s time for the brand to stand on its own.”
—Stephanie Riegel
