By Joyce Owen
When Doug and Kathy Krumel reached out to Jamie Landreneau to assist them during the renovation of D&K?s Bistro, they found a new partner and a focus ? honoring and celebrating New Orleans.
The couple wanted to create something different at the beach, a fine dining restaurant, but they needed a plan.
One July day, as Kathy struggled to manage all the details of the renovation, she decided she needed help.
?I was almost in tears,? she said. ?But then a light bulb went off and I knew who to call.?
The Krumels had worked with Jamie Landreneau on other restaurant projects and they trusted him. A panicked phone call brought him to the restaurant the next day.
?I thought they had already opened and needed d?cor help,? Landreneau said. ?When I walked into the building, I was in shock. I thought they were further along.?
However, Landreneau, a concept guy, agreed to work with them, ?I had one more big hoorah in me,? he said.
Landreneau sat down with Doug and Kathy and asked, ?What atmosphere were you looking for??
One of their plans was to create a VIP section, a table or two that would provide the best views in the restaurant. Landreneau pointed out every place in the restaurant offered a great view, why not make every table a VIP table, he suggested.
From that meeting on, the team included Landreneau. The collaboration helped define the restaurant?s theme ? all three had ties to New Orleans ? and the ambiance, food and art were designed to honor and even preserve the city they loved.
?New Orleans is our heart and soul. It?s where we all have roots ? living, going to school, sharing good times. We have family there,? Kathy said.
?New Orleans became the basis for the Bistro,? Kathy said.
BEACH CAF? TRANSFORMED TO ELEGANCE
Situated in the heart of Grayton Beach, the Bistro provides a spot where locals can drop in for a drink and catch up on the goings-on of the neighborhood in the cozy lounge. It?s also a place where guests can watch the sunset while enjoying a unique dining experience.
Gone are the picnic tables and open air dining, replaced with cast iron furniture and large windows that offer views of the beach. A golden glow reflects from the ceiling, the table linens and subdued lighting provide an effect Landreneau hoped would remind visitors of his beloved New Orleans.
And though the restaurant seems larger than before, the number of seats was reduced to 42. In addition to the main dining room, there are two smaller private dining areas, including a handicapped-accessible dining room on the fi rst fl oor.
DELAYS HAMPER RENOVATION PLANS
When the couple decided to close the restaurant to renovate just as the tourist season began, many watching from the sidelines wondered why.
For three years, the Krumels had tried to start the renovations, but at the end of each summer, Doug would be tired from the long hours in the kitchen and not ready to face the renovation, while Kathy was tied up getting their daughter ready for another school year.
The timing might have seemed odd to others, but the decision was made to do it then, ?because we really had no other time,? Kathy said.
And though they believed in the project, as the deadline for the completion was extended repeatedly and the expenses increased, Kathy said they had moments when they wondered if they had made the right decision.
However, when Kathy and Jamie traveled to New Orleans to purchase art for the restaurant, she had a new understanding of the diffi culties of those trying to live and work in the city. Everywhere they went the devastation from Hurricane Katrina was evident.
When they saw artists offering their life?s work at a pittance just to survive, Kathy saw the aches and pains they had undergone was nothing compared to the ongoing struggles of business owners in New Orleans. She and Landreneau scoured the galleries buying artwork that depicted the city they remembered. ?We returned with enough art for a gallery,? Kathy said. Three weeks after the Nov. 17 opening of D&K?s Bistro, Kathy, Doug and Jamie were all smiles. ?I think we?ve succeeded,? Kathy said. ?We brought uptown St. Charles Street to the beach,? Landreneau said.
When Doug and Kathy Krumel reached out to Jamie Landreneau to assist them during the renovation of D&K?s Bistro, they found a new partner and a focus ? honoring and celebrating New Orleans.
The couple wanted to create something different at the beach, a fine dining restaurant, but they needed a plan.
One July day, as Kathy struggled to manage all the details of the renovation, she decided she needed help.
?I was almost in tears,? she said. ?But then a light bulb went off and I knew who to call.?
The Krumels had worked with Jamie Landreneau on other restaurant projects and they trusted him. A panicked phone call brought him to the restaurant the next day.
?I thought they had already opened and needed d?cor help,? Landreneau said. ?When I walked into the building, I was in shock. I thought they were further along.?
However, Landreneau, a concept guy, agreed to work with them, ?I had one more big hoorah in me,? he said.
Landreneau sat down with Doug and Kathy and asked, ?What atmosphere were you looking for??
One of their plans was to create a VIP section, a table or two that would provide the best views in the restaurant. Landreneau pointed out every place in the restaurant offered a great view, why not make every table a VIP table, he suggested.
From that meeting on, the team included Landreneau. The collaboration helped define the restaurant?s theme ? all three had ties to New Orleans ? and the ambiance, food and art were designed to honor and even preserve the city they loved.
?New Orleans is our heart and soul. It?s where we all have roots ? living, going to school, sharing good times. We have family there,? Kathy said.
?New Orleans became the basis for the Bistro,? Kathy said.
BEACH CAF? TRANSFORMED TO ELEGANCE
Situated in the heart of Grayton Beach, the Bistro provides a spot where locals can drop in for a drink and catch up on the goings-on of the neighborhood in the cozy lounge. It?s also a place where guests can watch the sunset while enjoying a unique dining experience.
Gone are the picnic tables and open air dining, replaced with cast iron furniture and large windows that offer views of the beach. A golden glow reflects from the ceiling, the table linens and subdued lighting provide an effect Landreneau hoped would remind visitors of his beloved New Orleans.
And though the restaurant seems larger than before, the number of seats was reduced to 42. In addition to the main dining room, there are two smaller private dining areas, including a handicapped-accessible dining room on the fi rst fl oor.
DELAYS HAMPER RENOVATION PLANS
When the couple decided to close the restaurant to renovate just as the tourist season began, many watching from the sidelines wondered why.
For three years, the Krumels had tried to start the renovations, but at the end of each summer, Doug would be tired from the long hours in the kitchen and not ready to face the renovation, while Kathy was tied up getting their daughter ready for another school year.
The timing might have seemed odd to others, but the decision was made to do it then, ?because we really had no other time,? Kathy said.
And though they believed in the project, as the deadline for the completion was extended repeatedly and the expenses increased, Kathy said they had moments when they wondered if they had made the right decision.
However, when Kathy and Jamie traveled to New Orleans to purchase art for the restaurant, she had a new understanding of the diffi culties of those trying to live and work in the city. Everywhere they went the devastation from Hurricane Katrina was evident.
When they saw artists offering their life?s work at a pittance just to survive, Kathy saw the aches and pains they had undergone was nothing compared to the ongoing struggles of business owners in New Orleans. She and Landreneau scoured the galleries buying artwork that depicted the city they remembered. ?We returned with enough art for a gallery,? Kathy said. Three weeks after the Nov. 17 opening of D&K?s Bistro, Kathy, Doug and Jamie were all smiles. ?I think we?ve succeeded,? Kathy said. ?We brought uptown St. Charles Street to the beach,? Landreneau said.
