If you work, live or just spend all of your time downtown, you've probably noticed there aren't that many places to grab a quick bite to eat, sit down for a cup of coffee, or enjoy a casual dinner and dessert before or after a theater performance. Sure, there are lots of restaurants such as The Grove, Batanga, Artista and Sambuca; and there are lots of bars, such as Flying Saucer, Hearsay Gastro Lounge and Reserve 101. But, there's one thing missing from the downtown dining scene -- a casual place to grab a coffee, cocktail and bite to eat.
Let's face it. If you're searching for a laid-back coffee shop in downtown, or along the rail line, you'll be searching for a while. But, that problem will soon be resolved when The Honeymoon Cafe & Bar opens at 300 Main this spring.
The Honeymoon is a partnership between Matt Toomey and Charlotte Mitchell of Boomtown Coffee and Brad Moore and Ryan Rouse of The Corinthian Bar Group (Goro & Gun, Lei Low Bar, OKRA, Bad News Bar, Big Star Bar and Grand Prize Bar). The foursome believes that this establishment will assist in the revitalization of downtown.
"I really think downtown needs this," Moore says. "It will be a concept that's open from 7 a.m. until midnight. It rounds out the corner [of Main and Congress]. We've got Boomtown doing super high-quality coffee, and Justin [Burrow] from Bad News Bar, he's doing the cocktail program, and we've got a great staff management, and are otherwise ready to execute this. It should be fun and I really think it's what downtown needs."
Toomey describes the partnership of the coffee program from Boomtown and the cocktail program from The Corinthian Bar Group as "a marriage," and the partners believe opening The Honeymoon along the rail line is a prime location for their concept of invoking the spirit of NOLA.
"What it reminds me of most, in terms of just the concept, and it's unintentional, but it's right along the rail line, but it reminds me a lot of the bars and cafes in train stations, like all across Europe and everything," Mitchell says. "So, it's ... open from the morning; you can get your coffee; you can get your pastry; something quick, something sit-down, and then all the way into the evening."
The Honeymoon sits on the corner of Congress and Main along the rail line, just down the street from Goro & Gun, The Pastry War and Bad News Bar. The coffee shop and bar is still in the construction stage, but the historic building has made the process much easier on the partners. The building already had existing hardwood floors, a built-in oak bar and an ample amount of natural light.
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