New Orleans home to fewer-than-average chain restaurants

The big picture: The number of independent restaurants has been on the decline since the pandemic, Schimpf says, "while the overall footprint of chain restaurants has grown."

• Some key players in that space, like Jersey Mike's, Wingstop, Domino's and Chipotle, which just opened a new Freret Street restaurant, are pushing for growth, he notes.
• That's even despite a general slump for casual dining as consumers become more price-conscious.

Between the lines: It's harder for independently-owned businesses to weather not only those economic shifts but rising rents and costs for restaurants.

• One way to measure that in New Orleans is that the city had a relatively low year-over-year restaurant survival rate between fall 2024 and 2025.

By the numbers: The New Orleans metro is still home to fewer-than-average chain restaurants, according to Technomic.

• Industry data shows that about 32% of restaurants in the New Orleans metro are chains, compared to the national average of 38%, Schimpf says.