Brennan’s Hospitality in New Orleans: Making Friends

Restaurant groups offer lessons in setting standards for quality, culture and service

According to the Brennan philosophy of world-class New Orleans restaurants, true hospitality begins with making friends. Culinary matriarch Miss Ella and her siblings Dorothy (“Dottie”), Dick and John Brennan understood this when they took over the Garden District landmark Commander’s Palace in 1974. The stately museum-like space, once home to chefs Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse, is still run by Brennan family members Claire “Lally” Brennan and Ti Adelaide Martin.

In 1991, Dickie’s son and sister founded the eponymous Dickie Brennan & Company, preserving this key element of hospitality. Now, the family is expanding on that vision with its fifth restaurant. We spoke with managing partner Steve Petters, who works with Dick and Lauren Brennan Blauer, about the distinctive approach to serving locals and visitors at Palace Cafe, Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House, Tableau, and now Pascal’s Manale.

Friendship Zone

“Dick Brennan once said that, first of all, you make friends not to get something out of it, but to make a connection, even if you never see that person again in your life,” explains Petters, who is trained as a lawyer.

Petters believes that the secret to making real friends is to relax. This often happens at mealtime, especially when eating from the heart. His standard is to remember all the big Sunday dinners in Europe, where all the children brought their friends, and their friends brought their friends, and his mother always gave him a warm welcome.

“That’s what hospitality is all about, watching people eat food that’s been cooked to perfection and it makes your heart happy. It fills your soul and all other worries just fade away for a while,” he said. “We’re glad to be a part of it.”

Teaching employees at all levels to perform their duties and constantly look for ways to go above and beyond is one of Brennan’s hallmarks. “We say, ‘It’s never about you. It’s always about them. It’s better to give than to receive,'” Pettus said.

“Each of our 600 employees is an individual and we need to take individual care to make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing and understands why they are doing it,” he said.

Consistent with this culture of respect, the Company recently established a non-qualified employee benefits program to allow long-term employees to participate in the success of the Company’s operations.

“The care and consideration we have for each other is completely within our control,” Petters said. “When I go to work in the morning, I feel safe. I am surrounded by people who care about me, who care about me, and who know that I care about them.”

learn more: Lessons from an Immersive New Orleans Experience

By safe, he means more than just protection from physical harm. It means nurturing. Training everyone to this ideal is even more important than introducing the rules of etiquette, the technical aspects, the philosophy of under-promising and over-delivering, making sure the best product arrives at the back door and is handled properly. These are the tickets to entry. “You always strive to exceed the guests’ expectations, but not so much that it gets in your way,” he says.

Petters always brings the conversation back to people. Dining has to be a human experience, as has connecting on the phone. It can’t be a rote script. “The individual has to be present in every experience. Because if they’re just a bunch of robots, that’s not us,” he says.

Nourishing Culture

“For many visitors, New Orleans is a bit like a foreign country, with all the flavors and traditions,” Petters said. Brennan’s Kitchen and Restaurant blends the area’s history with fresh interpretations and Southern charm.

Each restaurant offers a little something different. The Palace Cafe, located in a 1905 building in the French Quarter, was once the oldest music store in the United States and a Canal Street institution. Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse is located in the basement of a garage, the oldest precast concrete building in the state. Tableau, in Pettus’ words, “oozes charm,” with a history that dates back to when the area was Spanish territory.

read more: New Orleans: A Color Palette of Life and Culture

When adding existing businesses to the group, most recently adding Pascal’s Manale, they have to add to Brennan’s charm without alienating those who have already fallen in love with the place. The 111-year-old Italian restaurant is known as the birthplace of New Orleans-style grilled shrimp, and that won’t change, but some purchases may be increased. “You can polish a gem, but you don’t change the gem,” Petters said.

Likewise, at another new venture, Dickie Brennan & Co. Audubon Club in Orland Park, the team is bringing high-end hospitality to the dining industry, with an Acadian-style wraparound porch amid oak trees and a golf course. Whether it’s at the Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium, the Acorn Cafe next to the Louisiana Children’s Museum in New Orleans City Park, The Commissary Kitchen + Market in the Garden District or in the dining industry, the concept is the same. Make friends. “People love to come in and hug you,” he said.

This warmth is shared by locals and tourists alike. One third of group visitors are on business trips, and they have a huge influence on the success of the outlets.

“When it comes to banquets, details matter. When someone trusts you to host their most special day, it’s a big deal. Our job is to say, ‘I’ve got you covered, your job is to relax and enjoy.'”

There’s an art to making guests feel at ease and letting them know you’re going to have a great time. “You have to set expectations and then meet and exceed them,” he said. He pointed out small details, like reusing flowers from previous events without charging for them, and making sure every technical detail was correct. “We’re always trying to improve our game,” he said.

After recent developments, the team is placing a high priority on quality. “It’s time for us to wake up, start over, rethink everything we do and find a better way,” Petters said.