Food & Beverage highlights

A new food & beverage environment at Louis Armstrong International Airport will “highlight New Orleans brands with national and local notoriety”.

That’s according to New York design firm Icrave, which has exclusively shared details and artist impressions of the project with The Moodie Davitt Report. The 20,400sq ft F&B area will open as part of a new US$1.029 billion terminal on 15 May.

The designers were appointed in 2016 by concessionaire Delaware North to create an F&B programme that celebrates the bars, eateries and cuisines of New Orleans.

Eight brands have standalone space and three others are grouped in an area named Nola Food Court, which has 817sq ft of communal seating.

Icrave said that the design aesthetics are personal to each brand, “yet cohesive in their acknowledgement of the character of New Orleans”.

The design firm integrated technology into the scheme through self-service kiosks and has introduced grab-and-go coolers, for travellers wanting to keep their pre-packed food and drink chilled.

Icrave has previously completed F&B projects at North American airports including Washington Ronald Reagan, Toronto Pearson, New York JFK, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

Here, Icrave Founder and CEO, Canadian-born designer Lionel Ohayon, offers insight to the design thinking behind each new F&B venue.

Location: Concourse C Size: 4,908sq ft Seat capacity: 132

“John Folse Market takes the traditional simple architecture of the trapper’s shack and pulls it apart, cracking it open to expose true New Orleans-style cooking. Chef John Folse has spent his life refining and modernising and sharing New Orleans cuisine with the world. This space will do the same, giving travellers a taste of true swamp-to-table and farm-to-table local cuisine.

“This modernised take exposes the kitchens, and also the cypress wood and iron. The ropes in the middle pull from New Orleans’ coastal seafaring culture, and for authenticity and sustainable reasons the materials have been sourced locally to the extent possible. The market zone in the centre will showcase John Folse’s curated products.”

“This modernised take exposes the kitchens, and also the cypress wood and iron. The ropes in the middle pull from New Orleans’ coastal seafaring culture, and for authenticity and sustainable reasons the materials have been sourced locally to the extent possible. The market zone in the centre will showcase John Folse’s curated products.”

Location: Concourse B Size: 250sq ft Seat capacity: 14

“Any public hub in New Orleans would be remiss if it didn’t pay homage to the rich jazz legacy of the city. The Heritage School of Music Stage Wine Bar packs a lot into 250sq ft. Half 14-seat wine bar, half elevated performance stage, travellers on their way in or out of New Orleans will have a chance to enjoy a live music performance at the bar. Inspired by the shape of a brass horn, if performances don’t draw customers in, the shape of the unique canopy will.”

Location: Main terminal Size: 3,500sq ft Seat capacity: 134

“To highlight the legacy of Leah Chase’s legendary career and her love for food and community, Leah’s Kitchen captures the spirit of Creole cuisine by bringing forth the ‘kitchen’ – a space critical to Leah’s success, as the main backdrop of the restaurant. Large graphic walls featuring Leah’s portrait by a local artist set the tone for a warm and inviting dining experience.

“In addition to an active bar and exposed kitchen, a long community table redefines airport dining with the spirit of community and gathering. The design utilises a material palette with local flair including various wood textures, kitchen supply elements, mosaic tile patterns, and metal accents. The space is an extension of Leah’s home – warm, rustic, elevated, and most importantly, comfortable.”

Location: Concourse B Size: 500sq ft Seat capacity: n/a

“City Greens has a whimsy and playful voice with a serious stance on food. Light-hearted finishes paired with clean lines and a monolithic serve line bring just that. Large Grab + Go cases displaying pre-made salad and wrap selections are front-and-centre as passengers head down the concourse.

“City Greens proudly serves food grown on its own farm. Large banner-like graphics will break the datum of light to highlight photographs of the farm. The structure is wood planked, in line with City Green’s current store vision, and will be a glowing fresh beacon in the terminal.”

Location: Concourse B Size: 5,002sq ft Seat capacity: 70

“Self-proclaimed “Authentically Untraditional”, MoPho’s is a new outdoor-feeling location. This bright and lively structure is a riff on the back porch at the existing MoPho location. Scaffolding and sheers will be used to create a sculptural pergola. The structure will create the intimacy of walls with the sight lines of an open space. The inherently industrial structure will become warm with inviting swings, upholstered wood chairs and wicker accents.”

Location: Main terminal Size: 1,900sq ft Seat capacity: 87

“Midway Pizza is bringing an authentic taste of deep-dish pizza and its vibe to the airport. Travellers heading from security will first notice the industrial-like bar and the dynamic shape of the pitched roof with black metal frame and rivet details.

“This draws one’s eye to the far end of the dining room where colourful and humorous local art designs and angled white painted wooden panels form the backdrop of the space. A pizza oven hovers at the near corner, hugged by a bar that provides full view of the pizza-making action while also incorporating a quick-serve counter.

“The central island bar attracts people to come in and sit down for drinks or grab a bottle to go. High-top tables act as a transition point and buffer between the activity of the bar and the dining room. Comfortable blue banquettes line the back walls – bordered on one side by a glass storefront that emulates the streets of the beautiful city.”

Location: Concourse B Size: 250sq ft Seat capacity: n/a

“Angelo Brocato’s has served traditional Italian ice cream in New Orleans for over 100 years. This small kiosk design is inspired by traditional Italian storefronts and the original location using the iconic neon signage. The material palette is classic and somewhat simple from the marquis lighting to the chevron patterned wood ceiling. The ceiling will fit in nicely with the beautiful terminal around it.

“The floor makes clear the queuing zone, while the vibrant foods and candies will entice travellers to treat themselves and maybe bring a little something to those they’re going to see.”

Location: Concourse B Size: 2,167sq ft Seat capacity: 74

“Bar Sazerac, a dynamic 1930s, art deco-esque colonnade pulls travellers from the concourse into a cosy and glamorous bar, inspired by the grandeur of old New Orleans. No visit to New Orleans is complete without sampling the city’s official cocktail, The Sazerac, and now passengers can do so before they even leave the airport.

xx“A sunset ombré effect is achieved through the use of a gradient of finishes that draws the eye up through the rye whiskey tones, the glitter of the absinthe and Peychaud’s bitters, and ends with a twist of lemon-gold light trickling through the ornate canopy. Elegant bar stools and plush banquettes will invite locals and visitors to enjoy an authentic New Orleans experience.”x

Location: Main Terminal, Nola Food Court Size: 587sq ft Seat capacity: Communal seating in 817sq ft

“A New Orleans staple, PJ’s Coffee at the new North Terminal will reflect the brand’s newer, sleek look while providing a much-needed coffee fix for travellers as they make their way from security to their gates. A focus on two main materials – the characteristic off-white beadboard used throughout PJ’s existing store locations in combination with a modern copper accent that flows through the rest of the food court keeps this coffee bar simple, but inviting.”

Location: Main Terminal, Nola Food Court Size: 1,049sq ft Seat capacity: Communal seating in 817sq ft

“Approachable and honest: these are the two best ways to describe Ye Olde College Inn (YOCI). With an updated and elevated wood pergola that calls to mind the metal and wood plank ceiling that shelters customers at its existing Carrollton location, YOCI gives off a comfortable, residential feel that will be a welcome respite tucked away from the bustle of the main terminal corridors.

“Local sports memorabilia and old photographs dot the walls behind the bar, giving off the look of having been collected over time and handed down through the generations since YOCI’s inception in 1933.”

The Moodie Davitt eZine | Issue 256 | 4 February 2019