Bamboula’s on Frenchmen Street is set to open Monday, October 21, barring any problems with city inspections, employees of the restaurant and theater told OffBeat today.
The controversial restaurant and venue is a renovation of the Laborde Printing Company building at 514-16 Frenchmen Street, located between the Maison and the Blue Nile. Originally the renovation was planned as a multi-stage music venue that would also serve food, but the developers were prevented from instituting their original plans by protests from some businesses on Frenchmen, and violations in the Arts & Cultural Overlay District zoning (the zoning only applies to the 500 and 600 blocks of Frenchmen Street). The city required the developers to revamp their plan, which now consists of a restaurant at 516 Frenchmen (Bamboula’s), and a separate theater (Festival Hall Theater) behind Bamboula’s that’s accessible via another street entrance at 514 Frenchmen.
Bamboula's restaurant and bar on Frenchmen. Opening soon...
The purpose of the Arts & Cultural Overlay District is to “sustain established and to promote new arts and cultural uses including a limited number of small-scale (up to 4,000 square feet) live entertainment venues in neighborhood business or mixed use areas that are compatible with the character of nearby residential neighborhoods. The Arts & Cultural Overlay District seeks to maintain and reinforce small-scale uses, a balance of daytime and night-time uses, and a ratio of approximately twenty (20) percent cocktail lounges and eighty (80) percent other uses.”
According to the overlay language, prohibited uses include t-shirt, novelty, gift shops and souvenir [shops] that specialize in t-shirts, novelties, gifts and souvenirs. Art galleries without limitation as to size, coffee shops, museums, and theaters up to 6,000 square feet are permitted (although theaters must obtain conditional use approval). Live entertainment is allowed in cocktail lounges, restaurants and theaters, but theaters are only allowed to present “theatrical presentations.”
Construction on the venue has been closely watched by some other business owners on Frenchmen Street who complained that the first iteration of the Bamboula’s plans weren’t in congress with the rest of the businesses on the street, as the venue was in violation of the overlay requirements. There was also a problem with the developers obtaining work permits, but those issues were resolved when new plans were presented to the city.
Bar at Bamboula's
“There’s not enough business on the street for another large venue here,” said Jesse Paige, manager of the Blue Nile. Regarding the establishment of a theater, rather than a music venue in the rear, Paige said “I don’t know how they think they’re going to make money presenting theater on Frenchmen. The back room has a large stage, lights and a sound system that is more suited to music, not theater.”
It remains to be seen what will be hosted at the Festival Hall Theater, although workers–who were still installing a large stage, lights, soundproofing materials, and sound equipment today–told OffBeat that the room would host theater and comedy. Calls and emails to management for comment were not answered at press time.
