Ruffino’s is planning to branch into the New Orleans area with a new restaurant. Negotiations over the location are underway, but the restaurant has signed a nondisclosure agreement with the property owner so specifics cannot be discussed just yet, according to food and beverage manager Gino Sclafani, brother of co-owner and Executive Chef Peter Sclafani.
“We’re getting close. … It’s coming soon,” Sclafani says. “We want to grow our whole team, and this is the only way we can give them an opportunity to grow. “
Sclafani will say only that the restaurant will be located in the “greater New Orleans area” and that he hopes to make an announcement in the next couple of months. Peter Sclafani has previously said he would like to open a restaurant in Metairie.
The expansion comes as Ruffino’s is updating its menu with the addition of 18 new dishes that take advantage of fresh, seasonal and local food.
The change is the result of several factors. Customers want more fresh, local foods and more variety on the menu. The restaurant also hopes to attract new patrons in an increasingly competitive market.
“It’s all of the above,” Sclafani says. “We wanted to have more seasonality, but we also want to change things up for or our guests. We have a lot of guests who come multiple times a week, so I wanted to bring in some fresh air.”
All but a handful of the original dishes will remain on the menu. Since introducing it Monday, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, Sclafani says.
The new menu is available at Ruffino’s signature restaurant on Highland Road and its Lafayette location, Ruffino’s on the River, as well as on the catering menu.
The company’s catering operations, based out of the downtown corporate headquarters in De La Ronde Hall, are exceeding expectations, particularly the off-site business. Sclafani says off-site catering sales are up an estimated 50% over the same period last year.
—Stephanie Riegel
