‘Real Estate Weekly’: La. named among 10 best states for restaurant expansion

It looks like Louisiana just can’t get its fill of restaurants. According to an analysis of an array of population figures, labor statistics and private industry data by Restaurant Management magazine, Louisiana is among the top 10 states for full-service restaurant growth. Sales at the nearly 3,000 full-service restaurants already operating in the state—excluding fast-food restaurants—are expected to expand by 3.3% in 2012. Louisiana Restaurant Association President and CEO Stan Harris says the state’s favorable operating costs and abundant supply of fresh seafood and other local products heighten Louisiana’s culinary distinctiveness, making it attractive to both in-state and out-of-state restaurateurs. But, of course, restaurants need customers if they’re to survive and thrive. And as Darryl Reginelli—who recently opened his second Reginelli’s pizzeria in Baton Rouge and hopes to have a third by the end of the year—tells Restaurant Management: “We might not be the powerhouse of some other states because we’re not the wealthiest state, but folks here will spend on restaurants.” Other states on the magazine’s top 10 list are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. The list does not assign the states a specific numerical ranking. Read the rest of the new Real Estate Weekly e-newsletter here.