New boutiques, restaurants preparing to join Perkins Rowe mix

While the Perkins Rowe foreclosure lawsuit continues to wend its way through the court system after three years, the legal issues do not appear to be hurting business at the mixed-use development, according to property manager Rick Balow. On the contrary, he says, leasing activity has never been stronger. JuJu’s, a new boutique, recently moved into existing retail space, and three more boutiques are “very close to going to lease,” Balow says, adding that the tenants will be leasing both new and existing retail space. Two new restaurants are also negotiating deals to move into Perkins Rowe, he says. A new concept Mexican restaurant that is locally owned and will feature live music is planning a move into the space previously occupied by The Grillroom, while a barbecue chain restaurant will take over the space that formerly housed Fish City Grill. While those previous restaurant tenants didn’t do well in Perkins Rowe, Balow says the development is an increasingly popular dining venue and a very successful location for existing tenants. “Things have been absolutely phenomenal,” he says, noting that the restaurants in Perkins Rowe are averaging sales of between $400 and $650 per square foot, versus an industry average of $250 to $400 per square foot. “I would put them up against any restaurant in New Orleans in terms of their volume.” —Stephanie Riegel