What's next for the Turkey and the Wolf team after Hot Stuff's closure
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Hot Stuff, the Maple Street meat-and-three from the team behind Turkey and the Wolf, is closing, and there are just a few weeks left to stop in for lunch.
Why it matters: The closure announcement came as a bit of a shock to fans, but restaurant partner Mason Hereford says the move brings with it a lot of opportunity.
The big picture: Hot Stuff's opening was part of a broader plan for the many brains behind Turkey and the Wolf to each expand into restaurant ownership, Hereford says.
- And they did, with Molly's Rise and Shine, Hungry Eyes, and Hot Stuff.
Zoom in: In Hot Stuff's case, that chef was Nate Barfield, who turned out dishes like pineapple habanero smoked wings to hopefully lure Uptown college students.
- But that's not how it worked out, Hereford says.
- "It seemed like most of our customers were driving across town," he tells Axios New Orleans. "It turns out we were not in the perfect spot for what we were trying to serve."
- The result was a business that, despite all the heart and soul they poured into it, wasn't financially sustainable.
The bottom line: RIP to Esquire's "Bathroom of the Year."
The intrigue: Hereford and Barfield's decision to close Hot Stuff came after a 90-minute phone call that ended with the two chefs excited about possibilities if they let go of the restaurant itself.
- By the end, Hereford says, "we were giggling about the idea of how we could turn this whole situation around."
What we're watching: The team is cooking up new plans that'll result in no job losses for the Hot Stuff team, Hereford says.
- He expects to share more within days.