Demand is soaring in the Capital area for full-blown outdoor cooking spaces, complete with grills, stove tops, beverage coolers, decor, televisions and dining area, a new Business Report feature details.
“In the last 10 years, we’ve seen a huge spike in requests for outdoor kitchens,” Stephen Smith, co-founder of FLO Grills—a luxury outdoor grill maker in Baton Rouge—says. “They’ve been around long enough that every new house wants them. It’s not just a fad. It’s as common as a patio now.”
Entertaining family and friends typically centers around a home-cooked meal in Louisiana, and it’s become increasingly popular to take the party, and the cooking, outside. As homeowners upgrade their outdoor spaces for this purpose, Smith says, they’re opting to enjoy more time at home—or “staycation,” if you will—rather than go out.
Today’s hottest trend in outdoor kitchens are kamado grills—ceramic Big Green Egg-style cookers, Tracie Boyd Comeaux, co-owner of Goodwood Hardware & Outdoors, tells Business Report.
Kamados are versatile charcoal-fueled devices, shaped liked an egg and used for grilling, smoking, roasting and even pizza baking. Other popular trends include food-prep areas, misting fans, surround-sound systems and, of course, any amenity to meet your alcoholic beverage needs, such as beer taps and kegerators.
