Impetus Leading Construction For Brechtel Hospitality Expansion in Downtown New Orleans
Published to New Orleans City Business, January 12, 2023
Copper Vine, a wine bar and restaurant, will soon transform into Copper Vine Winepub & Inn, an expansion that will add 11 suites and double the size of the CBD winery, according to developers.
Vintage Rock Club, which is directly next door to Copper Vine and is also operated by Brechtel Hospitality, will also double in size.
Brechtel Hospitality President and CEO Kyle Brechtel described the concept for the Inn as a “restaurant first” take on a traditional Bed & Breakfast. He compared the experience to the R Bar & Royal Street Inn, a popular neighborhood watering hole in the Marigny with an attached inn.
“I always had this idea for kind of a wine gastropub with an inn,” Brechtel said. “To me, it’s not just semantics in terms of an inn versus a hotel or a boutique hotel. It really operates differently. It’s a restaurant and bar first. You’ll check in at the host stand, we’ll take your bags, give you a little token to grab a glass of wine at the bar, and then you’re in. There’s no concierge. It’s a little bit more low touch than a full-service hotel.”
Brechtel said he envisions visitors coming from all over for big events such as the 2025 Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, and any number of other large events. Locals will also benefit from the inn concept even as they continue to enjoy the bar and restaurant.
“For me, it fits in between a short-term rental and a boutique hotel,” he said. “People who maybe want more of a branded experience, more of a hospitality experience than short-term rentals, but don’t want to pay $400, $500, $600 a night for a boutique hotel, but don’t want to stay at the large chain hotels. For me, this is a concept that fits right in between those that gives you a boutique hotel feel for a lower price point.”
Both Copper Vine and the Vintage Rock Club will double in space thanks to the expansion, with available space going from around 25,000 combined square feet to around 50,000 square feet total. Vintage Rock Club will also benefit from the addition of a second dance floor, bar and video wall.
The expansion will also include a 6,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor rooftop venue, with a full kitchen and private elevator entrance on Rampart Street. Brechtel said that rooftop space will host private events mainly, but could evolve to include live music and other attractions.
The expansion project is led by Studio West Design and Architecture and general contractor Impetus. It will fit nicely with the development of the first block of Rampart Street, Brechtel said, helping the entire area.
“From our first re-envisioning of the former Maylie’s restaurant into Copper Vine Winepub, we have been excited to breathe new life into the collection of historic buildings at the corner of Poydras and South Rampart Streets,” said Jennie West, founder and principal of Studio West Design & Architecture. “This project expands and adds to the collection of hospitality concepts on the block while architecturally uniting the property into a cohesive whole.”
Construction is expected to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2023.
“It has been a pleasure to be involved in this wonderful hospitality project on the high profile Poydras Street corridor,” said Erin Comeaux, Impetus project executive. “Renovation projects are always complex, but the Brechtel Development team understands this and respects the incredible value of historic New Orleans buildings like these. We are honored to be their trusted building partner on this great addition to our city.”
