Andrea’s Restaurant in Metairie Joins the Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts Portfolio

METAIRIE, La — Long known as one of Jefferson Parish’s most prominent restaurants, Andrea’s Restaurant now has a new owner with big plans for redevelopment. The new owner, Marv Ammari, CEO of Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, plans to develop a steak and seafood house that will join nearly two dozen other restaurants in the hospitality company’s portfolio (such as Broussard’s, New Orleans Social House, The Bombay Club, Tommy’s and Ernst Café).

Last summer, local real estate developer Anthony “A.P.” Marullo III bought the restaurant from the Founder and Chef, Andrea Apuzzo (who opened the restaurant in 1985), with plans to open an Italian restaurant and event venue called Marullo’s. However, Marullo later had second thoughts.

“[Marullo] and his attorney contacted us because they learned we had previously negotiated with Chef Andrea two years ago,” said Ammari. “He has recently decided to sell because of a personal desire to spend more time with his family.”

The guiding principle for the new restaurant is to offer an approachable steak and seafood house with more affordable prices than other established upscale restaurants in the area. “This area of Metairie needs more restaurant options,” Ammari says. “So the dream for this space is to bring an approachable and locally managed steak and seafood house to the community.”

The existing 12,000-square-foot restaurant space, located at 3100 19th St., across from the Lakeside Shopping Center, formerly included interconnecting private rooms with seating for up to 350. It has since been gutted, creating a blank slate for what’s to come. With so much space available, Ammari plans for the new restaurant also to serve as a large banquet facility. However, many details are still forthcoming (including the new restaurant’s name), while Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts develops several other restaurants simultaneously.

“This project represents our continued investment in Jefferson Parish and includes the Meineke Car Care Center, a 22,000-square-foot office building, and the 12,000-square-foot restaurant and banquet facility,” said Ammari.