It's New Orleans: Out To Lunch

One of the topics in the national debate these days is trade. Meaning imports and exports. Onn Out to lunch, Pater and his guests take a look at two of the most obscure imports into the United States, and New Orleans. One from Britain, the other from Italy. Francis Palumbo joins Peter to talk about the British import. Francis is a member of the board of The Crescent City Blues Rugby Football club. T.J. Stranova is an authority on the Italian import. T.J is President of the Italian American Bocce Club of Greater New Orleans. Yes, while the rest of the business community is talking about free trade, NAFTA, The TPP, and tariffs, Out to Lunch is taking a break from all that to talk about imported ball games. Rugby. And Bocce. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

Two years ago on Out to Lunch we met two very interesting entrepreneurs. Haley Burns was just finishing up school. She was wondering if she could turn a project called Fund 17 that she d started as a student, into a full time job. Libby Fischer had come to New Orleans to get involved in education again, having been a part of Teach For America in Mississippi. On this trip, Libby wound up as CEO of an education startup called Whetstone. Today, Haley Burns and Libby Fisher are Peter s guests on Out to Lunch. Two years later, things are very different for both of them. Haley has pioneered a business model that takes folks with a "side hustle" and gives them the skills and capital to start a business. Libby has turned out to be an extraordinarily effective CEO and has grown her startup into a nationwide business with over 11,000 teachers serving a quarter of a million students. And she s one of Forbes Magazine s 2017 30 Under 30 All Stars. This is a fun and informative conversation with two innovative entrepreneur

When you think about inspirational figures people who inspire you with their dedication to good works you might think about Mother Theresa or the Dalai Lama. You probably don t think of local men in the construction industry. Peter Ricchiuti s guests on Out to Lunch might change that. Jim Pate is Executive Director of the New Orleans Area Habitat For Humanity. Jim has overseen Habitat construction projects around the world. In New Orleans he s built more houses since Hurricane Katrina than any other construction company, including the award winning Musician s Village. Dylan Tete is the founder and Executive Director of the Bastion Community of Resilience. It s a construction project that is building community housing for military veterans returning to civilan life with life altering injuries. They re talking about the business of literally building a better community on Out Lunch. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

When you re starting your own business you often hear two pieces of advice. "Do something you love." And, "use your personal experience to better understand your business." Linsey Lamba used her personal experience as a technology consultant in Seattle, working with Microsoft, to go into business for herself. Making skincare products. Linsey explains her transition from consultant to founder of Ariya Apothecary over lunch with Peter Ricchiuti. Peter is also joined by Mark Berger. Mark s personal experience working out and running races, from marathons to ironman, have led him to carve out a career in the fitness industry. Mark has two fitness studios, called Higher Power, and a myriad of other interests including Lululemon workout wear and the Gleason Classic road race. They re talking about the self generating loop of feeling good and looking good on this edition of Out to Lunch. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

Believe it or not, it was only 2013 that the word "selfie" was created. Photography used to be a highly technical and creatively demanding art form. Whether or not taking portraits of ourselves with our phones is the all time low in the world of photographic arts, only time will tell. For the last decade and a half, photographer Zack Smith has been chronicling the cultural life of New Orleans. He has also carved out a career as a commercial photographer, and teaches photography. Zack is Peter Ricchiuti s guest on Out to Lunch. Peter is also joined by designer Jennifer Kelly, founder and Principal Designer at Design Lab. You ve probably never been in Design Lab s offices but you ve more than likely been in their designs from restaurants in California to Florida, and here in New Orleans from Uptown condos to the Maritime Building in the CBD and Tableau restaurant in the French Quarter. On this edition of Out to Lunch at Commander s Palace Peter Ricchiuti gets serious about selfies, the changing world of profess

Have you been to Costco Or Trader Joes Or Whole Foods Or any of the who knows how many other grocery stores in New Orleans Have you noticed that any time you go, every store always seems busy. There s no doubt that here in New Orleans we have a love affair with grocery shopping. We even have our own unique name for it making groceries. On this edition of Out to Lunch we re talking about making groceries from two very different perspectives. Giselle Diaz Eastlack owns 18 Diaz Market stores in Orleans, St Tammany and Jefferson Parish. Daniel Esses is the CEO and President of the Dryades Public Market on Oretha Castle Hailey Boulevard in Central City. Giselle s markets are a vital part of the communities they serve and Daniel s market is positioned to be a big part of the revitalization of the neighborhood around it. Photos at Commander s Palace by Sam Weil.

You might have noticed in some grocery stores or coffee shops that when you go to check out there are a handful of CDs for sale. That impulse purchase spot is one of the few places you can buy CDs these days, now that most of us buy or steal music online. That might just seem like inevitable technological evolution to you. But what happens when the world changes and you own a record label Dan Storper is the founder of Putumayo World Music, a phenomenally successful specialty label that has sold over 30 million CDs. Selling books is equally as challenging as selling records. Book stores have closed and publishers have struggled to find their feet selling eBooks. Scott Campbell is a veteran publishing executive and founder of his own relatively new publishing house, River Road Press. Dan Storper and Scott Campbell join Out to Lunch s Peter Ricchiuti for an insightful lunch conversation about how you make a living selling words and music in the 21st century. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

There are 500 million people on Instagram. It s the world s biggest social media site behind Facebook. Instagram reportedly grew by 100 million users over the past 12 months. Business people wrestle with a simple question How do you turn this captive audience into customers On this edition of Out to Lunch we meet the person who has the answer. His name is Dalton Dean. Dalton s app, Mainspree, lets you turn your Instagram account into a store. If you want a break from making a fortune on Instagram, maybe you want to go out for a quiet meal. Or a rowdy cocktail. If you want to make sure the atmosphere where you re going is what you re looking for, you can check the vibe on an app called Scenehound. Scenehound s founder, Michael Underwood, joins Peter Ricchiuti on Out to Lunch. This is a fascinating and illuminating about two potentially big deal apps with their two potentially big deal founders. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

In the new New Orleans economy we re used to hearing success stories about exciting new tech businesses that make apps for your phone and other products that couldn t have even existed a few years ago. Alongside all this tech wizardry there are folks who are making things the old fashioned way with hammers, nails, and glue. Jon Dijkhuizen has a company called NOLA Woodworks that makes hand crafted wooden outdoor furniture like swing seats and picnic tables. Mandy Simpson has a company called NOLA Boards that makes hand crafted chopping boards. Although neither Mandy nor Jon can look down the road at an exit strategy that includes selling their businesses for billions to Facebook, you might be surprised at the kind of success they re enjoying. And not just here in New Orleans but further afield as well. Peter Ricchiuti, Jon and Mandy discuss the surprisingly buoyant artisanal woodwork economy on this edition of Out to Lunch. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

Somewhere along the line, somebody decided that seeing we live in an environment of extreme humidity and termites, it would be a great idea if we all lived in wooden houses. As a consequence, we re pretty much all familiar with the headaches of renovation and construction. But not as familiar as Scott Wolfe. Scott s company, Zlien, specializes in taking on the painful parts of construction so other people in the construction industry don t have to. Andrew Preble is the creator of one of the most unique and popular entertainment attractions in the city. It s called Escape My Room. If you haven t experienced it yourself or know someone who has, on this edition of Out to Lunch you ll find out why thousands of New Orleanians think Andrew is a genius. Peter Ricchiuti spends a lively lunch talking about how to get into a building with Scott Wolfe and how to get out of a building with Andrew Preble. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

When you live in a place for a while you get used to things. So much so that you hardly notice them anymore, no matter how outlandish they might be. For example, you can wander around New Orleans French Quarter with the sound of the calliope blasting over the whole city and not think anything of it. If you do ever stop to think about that calliope music, one of the things you might wonder is, "Who is playing that " The answer is, a delightful woman called Debbie Fagnano. Debbie is Peter s guest on Out to Lunch today. Here s another thing that might cross your mind if you re Uptown, or when you pass any of the 6 St Charles Vision stores in New Orleans, do you ever wonder, "Who is Saint Charles " There are two possible answers. One is the Archbishop of Milan who invented the seminary in 1564. The other is Dr. Charles Glaser, who founded St Charles Vision in 1976. Charlie Glaser joins Peter here for lunch. We re taking a look at New Orleans from inside the eyeglass store and from the top of the steamboat Natchez

Many of our greatest artists liked cocktails. Degas, Van Gogh, Manet, and many others spoke glowingly of the effect of alcohol on their work, and painted bottles, glasses, and folks drinking. Here in New Orleans, and in 36 states across the U.S, you can find out if a couple of cocktails can turn you into a master painter at Painting With a Twist, where partying and painting go hand in hand. The co founder of the extraordinarily successful Painting with a Twist franchise, Cathy Deano, is Peter s guest on this edition of Out to Lunch. So is Alex Geriner. Alex is the founder of Doorman Designs where they make designer furniture from wood and fittings salvaged from homes in the Gulf South that have been destroyed by floods or neglect. Alex s furniture can be found across the country, from Malibu to Miami and in every room of the new Henry Howard Hotel right here in New Orleans. Peter entertains two of New Orleans most innovative creative entrepreneurs on this Out to Lunch from Commander s Palace. Photos by Alison

According to government statistics, about 30 million Americans are under 5 years old. That s a big market. But even in today s generation of accelerated development, it takes a while before kids want to buy stuff. But little kids sure like to do stuff. Peter s guests on Out to Lunch have businesses whose clients are little kids who like to do stuff. Stuff like big kids do. Or even adults. Bella Brown Bedortha s business is called Kidding Around Yoga. As the name suggests, it s yoga for kids. Starting as young as 4. Marla McAlister Miller drives what looks like a school bus. But it s actually a mobile gymnastics studio called Tumblebus. Both Tumblebus and Kidding Around Yoga are recent businesses that are spreading across the country like Taco Bell. The toddler market is a hugely expanding demographic. Both Bella and Marla s businesses are bursting at the seams and ready for expansion. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

When was the last time you bought a car After you bought it, if it was new, did you think you could have gotten a better deal If it was used, did you notice something a few days later that you d wished you d seen before you bought it Those days of car buyer remorse are over, thanks to a New Orleans startup business called ReDrive. Co founder of ReDrive, Max Burwick, joins Peter Ricchiuti on this edition of Out to Lunch. If you d rather not drive, and prefer to be driven, Peter s other lunch guest can help you out. He s not an Uber driver. He s the owner of Nicoll s Limousine and Shuttle, Mike Nicoll. If you ve seen a giant stretch Hummer on the road, or a beautiful Rolls Royce with a bride in the back, or prom kids in any number of shiny black limos, you ve seen Mike s fleet at work. Peter and guests are talking about a revolutionary new way to buy or sell a car, and a traditional, luxurious way to ride around in cars, on Out to Lunch at Commander s Palace. Photos by Alison Moon.

The difference between successful people and the rest of us is that when successful people have an idea they don t just say "Wouldn t it be great if somebody did X, Y or Z," they do it. Like Sidney Torres IV.. While most of us complained for years about the putrid smell in the French Quarter, Sidney started a sanitation company and cleaned it up. While we re all complaining about crime, Sidney has created and an app based community policing system, the French Quarter Task Force. And he s proven that it works. Sidney Torres joins Peter on this edition of Out to Lunch. Aimee Adatto Freeman is a member of the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation. The foundation works with business leaders and the city to break the cycle of crime. Living in fear affects the psyche of citizens. It impacts our tourist economy. And it threatens the future of the newly resurgent and optimistic local economy. On Out to Lunch,Peter Ricchiutti leads a frank conversation about the business approach to solving New Orleans issues with

A lot of tourists who come to New Orleans go home and describe the city as an oasis of European looking streets lined with music clubs where people wander around drinking cocktails and eating beignets 24 hours a day.

According to the reputable Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation, right around twenty percent of the population of the United States is under 15. That s a sizeable market. You don t have to look very far to see the marketers of stuff that kids like trying to sell it to them. Mostly food and toys. Which demonstrates that we don t change all that much as we grow older. But there are other businesses aimed at kids that aren t exploitative, and can be a part of a child s development. Peter Ricchiuti s guests on today s show are in those kinds of businesses. Marshall Love is co owner of Love Swimming, where thousands of New Orleanian kids learn to swim. Jeremy Henson is co owner of 1 Gaming, where thousands of New Orleanian kids learn to socialize and compete off the sports field. Childs play is big business. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

If you had to name the biggest fried chicken business in Louisiana, you probably wouldn t have to think about it too long. You might take a bit longer to name the next biggest. And even then you might not come up with Krispy Krunchy. Krispy Krunchy has over 1,800 reatail locations in 36 states. It s everywhere from the Virgin Islands to the Wichita Zoo. And it keeps getting bigger. Krispy Krunchy s executive Vice President Dan Shapiro is Peter s guest on this edition of Out to Lunch. What s fried chicken without a beer Peter s other guest on today s show is Michael Naquin, founder of 40 Arpent Brewing Company. 40 Arpent has been making craft beer since 2011. It got its start in St Bernard, and among its other unique New Orleans attributes, the brewery opens its doors to homebrewers. Both Krispy Krunchy Foods and 40 Arpent Brewing have unique business models and great stories. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

The term "Renaissance Man" not surprisingly comes from the renaissance. A period of history where the possibilities for self expression flourished.

If you were born in 2004 and you re now in 8th grade, you ve never known a time when New Orleans wasn t Hollywood South. Hold on to those memories. By the time you get to college nobody will believe you d see Tom Cruise at the football game or Matthew McConaughey in the park. If things keep going the way they are, the dismantling of the State s film tax credits will make Hollywood South a golden era that s never coming back. Or is it Peter s guests on Out to Lunch today have a range of options by which we might yet live to see a sequel. Lenny Alsfeld puts deals together that get films made. Dawn Arevalo is from IATSE 478, the union that represents folks in the film business. Julie Stokes is a State Representative and a CPA. Is it good bye forever to Tinsel town Or can we look forward to more star sightings and trucks blocking traffic in our future Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.