The Velvet Cactus’ first Baton Rouge location will open before the end of the year on Old Hammond Highway near its intersection with Jefferson Highway, according to owner Herb Dyer.
Dyer and Rusty White—who also own The Bulldog bars on Perkins Road and in New Orleans—purchased the property in Dec. 2012. Dyer says the opening was slowed because the building on the property that formerly housed Another Broken Egg had to be torn down rather than simply renovated. Construction on a new building began last summer.
“We took so long in planning,” Dyer says. “Nothing goes as fast as you hope.”
Wood from the old building was reused where it could be, which, along with aesthetic detailing work, gives the restaurant a “Disney World feel,” Dyer says, adding he’s waiting to see if the restaurant will be a success before he plans any more Velvet Cactus locations.
“I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself,” he says.
The original and only other Velvet Cactus is located off Hammond Avenue in the Lakeview area of New Orleans. Dyer says the pair is looking to open a Bulldog in Lafayette, although plans for a location haven’t been solidified.
“You just can’t get zoning for a bar,” Dyer says. “We’d love to do more, but we just can’t get the zoning.” —Kelly Connelly
