Rendering by Studio WTA via city of New Orleans.
Lula Restaurant Distillery broke ground on St. Charles Avenue on Monday afternoon and plans to be open by October.
The new distillery and bar will be built at the old Halpern’s building at 1532 St. Charles Avenue. Permits with the city peg the construction cost at $1,800,000. The project was started over two years ago (and you can check out the plans here).
Lula will produce vodka, rum and gin from Louisiana sugarcane at the restaurant in a German-made copper still. The menu will feature southern food.
Owners Bear Caffery and Jess Bourgeois were able to fit the concept into the newly passed legislation that allows for “micro-distilleries” in Louisiana, which are those that produce fewer than 12,000 gallons of product a year.
Woodward Design+Build is the contractor, and Studio WTA the architect.
Lula is the phase one for the redevelopment of the entire block, which will include a new hotel as well.
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