Developer Cornelius Quarels says he hopes to open The Main Lobby, a new lounge in the former Hound Dogs location downtown, before the end of the year.
He says he would have opened sooner if not for delays in getting the equipment he needs.
“It was a difficult project,” he says, noting the amount of work the building needed and the spike in lumber prices earlier this year. “It’s coming along (well).”
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Quarels says he’s been trying to open since July and is hesitant to promise an opening date. But he has a hearing with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board later this month, potentially clearing the way for a soft opening in late November or December, he says.
He says he wants the lounge, which will include rooftop seating, to have a “hotel lobby feel.” It will not be a full-service restaurant but will serve bar food items such as wings and sliders, he says.
“It’s not really a club,” he says. “It’s a spot to have a snack, meet with guests, do a business transaction, and then go to a club or go out to the next level.”
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Quarels purchased the property at Main and Seventh streets in December for $165,000. The space had been vacant since Hound Dogs closed in 2018.
He has previously discussed finding a business partner for the project but says he does not have one now.
This story originally appeared in a Nov. 2 edition of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.