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Restaurant news: City Pork expansion; Abu Omar Halal and Chicken Salad Chick openings; BBQGuys’ big campaign

New City Pork location planned for former Adrian’s space

Adrian’s Restaurant & Bar, which has been closed since last summer, is being converted into another City Pork, slated to open in mid-May. City Pork owner Stephen Hightower will lease the building from Juban’s Restaurant Group, which “pressed pause” on Adrian’s nearly one year ago amid the coronavirus pandemic. City Group also acquired Beausoleil from Juban’s Restaurant Group back in August.

The Highland Park Marketplace restaurant will mark City Pork’s fourth existing location in Baton Rouge, joining its brasserie and bar on Jefferson Highway, catering and events headquarters on Government Street and coffee and sandwich shop in the Design Building on LSU’s campus.

Noting the larger footprint he’ll have, Hightower bills the new location as a “celebration of every City Pork concept we’ve ever done,” including its shuttered Deli & Charcuterie underneath the Perkins Road overpass and Kitchen & Pie concept on Exchequer Drive. “We’ll have an opportunity to bring some of those concepts back to life within this new building,” Hightower says. Read the full story from a March 30 edition of Daily Report.


Abu Omar Halal food truck to open in Baton Rouge this weekend

Mediterranean food truck Abu Omar is opening this weekend at 12812 Coursey Blvd.

The brand began as a food truck in Houston back in 2011 and has since expanded to more than 20 food truck and bricks-and-mortar locations. Baton Rouge marks the brand’s 24th location, according to a press release.

Its signature item is a shawarma wrap made with halal chicken or beef, long-cut pickles and a garlic-based sauce served on tortilla bread. The restaurant also serves kabobs, sandwiches and falafel.

The grand opening is this Saturday, April 3, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Visitors will be treated to complimentary baklava and other goodies, while supplies last. Find more info at abuomarhalal.com.


Chicken Salad Chick expanding to Gonzales

The fast-casual chicken salad restaurant announced its continued expansion in Louisiana, with a new Gonzales restaurant at 503 West Highway 30, Suite A.

This location marks the brand’s third in the Greater Baton Rouge area and its 10th restaurant in the state, with an additional location in Slidell slated to open later this year.

The Gonzales location is set to open April 14. Read the full announcement here.


Archie and Eli Manning to appear in national branding campaign for BBQGuys

Six months after acquiring Baton Rouge-based BBQGuys and promising to turn the local online retailer of high-end barbecue grills and outdoor products into a nationally known brand, private equity firm Brand Velocity Partners is launching BBQGuys’ first national marketing and ad campaign, starring Louisiana’s own Archie and Eli Manning.

The Manning family is among the group of high-profile investors who bought into the company last summer in a deal that was estimated to be worth some $140 million and included BBQGuys and its sister company, Blaze Outdoor Products.

Now, Archie and Eli Manning have agreed to serve as the company’s celebrity pitchmen. A company spokesperson says the campaign will be a fully integrated national campaign that will feature high-impact BBQGuys branding during live sports events throughout the year and include radio and TV ads as well as courtside signage in basketball and behind home plate in baseball. See the commercials here.

Read the full story from a March 30 edition of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.