Longtime Mid City restaurant Bistro Byronz closed briefly in September for a long-planned renovation. When it reopened a few weeks later, the casual spot was transformed into a rebranded concept: Brasserie Byronz. Outfitted in amber globe lighting, a pressed tin ceiling and brick-red banquettes, the eatery also introduced a fresh menu and cocktail program.
Response has been overwhelmingly positive, says Byronz Restaurant Family CEO Emelie Alton. “Customers walk in and say, ‘I feel like I’m not in Baton Rouge. I feel like I’m in Paris,’” Alton says. “I tell them what we were attempting to create in terms of the feel of a brasserie in New York, and they’re like, ‘You definitely nailed it.’”
Bistro Byronz opened as a full-service restaurant in 2006 on the east end of Government Street, moving to a more modern spot a few blocks west in 2021. But Alton and her partners knew the move wasn’t enough to keep pace with Baton Rouge’s evolving restaurant market, where customer expectations about atmosphere and experience are higher than ever.
Brasserie Byronz: Swipe to see the before and after
Design-forward openings like The Supper Club in 2022 and Tsunami Highland and The Colonel’s Club this year have placed a premium on statement-making interiors that set the mood and tell a story. Existing concepts like Bistro Byronz have answered the demand for design with a flurry of renovations. The investments have been intended to help restaurants retain customers and attract more patrons to the more lucrative dinner service.
Jubans is a classic example. After closing during COVID, it reopened in 2022 with a new menu and head chef—and a massive renovation that brought a fresh theme and color palette to each of the establishment’s many separate dining rooms. It was an attempt to lure back longtime fans and attract younger diners, its partners told 225 at the time.
Mason’s Grill: Swipe to see the before and after
Numerous casual eateries have also redesigned to stay competitive. Last month, popular brunch spot Mason’s Grill completed a $500,000 gut job that opened the restaurant’s floor plan and added new tables, chairs, lighting and Louisiana artwork. Owner Rober Alamirie bought the business in 2022 with his wife and business partner, Christina, a designer. The two saw renovating as key to staying top of mind in a tough local restaurant market.
“We need to remain relevant and be able to provide the kind of experience we want to.”
[Zippy’s owner Neal Hendrick on its $1.7 million expansion, completed this spring]
“To be honest, you’ve got to keep up with what’s going on in town,” Alamirie says. “There’s a lot of competition with new restaurants popping up all the time.”
Zippy’s, the Tex-Mex restaurant and bar on Perkins Road, also took on a major update this spring. Owner Neal Hendrick invested more than $1.7 million in an expansion that doubled the eatery’s size.
“It was time to do it,” Hendrick told 225. “We’ve been here 23 years, and we love the area, but we need to remain relevant and be able to provide the kind of experience we want to.”
Colorful wallpapered bathrooms at the new Zippy’s.
The $1.7 million renovation was unveiled this spring.
