July 16, 2019 | From City of New Orleans
City of New Orleans Awards Restaurant Contract for Joe Bartholomew Golf Course to The Munch Factory
NEW ORLEANS -- The City of New Orleans today is pleased to announce the awarding of the contract to operate a restaurant at Joe Bartholomew Golf Course to The Munch Factory. The restaurant, which originally operated in the Gentilly neighborhood, moved its location to the Lower Garden District. The expansion to the golf course represents a return to the restaurant's roots.
“It is great to see a neighborhood favorite return back to Gentilly. By expanding The Munch Factory’s operations to Joe Bartholomew Golf Course, in the heart of Pontchartrain Park, they are demonstrating the success we’d like to see for all of our small businesses. This is a win-win-win, a win for the golf course, a win for the patrons and a win for the neighborhood," Mayor LaToya Cantrell said. "Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, and we are remaining intentional about creating an equitable procurement process and ensuring that our small businesses have access to their fair share of opportunities."
The Munch Factory co-owners Jordan Ruiz and Alexis Pearson Ruiz said, "When we moved from Gentilly, we promised our customers who became our family, that if the opportunity presented itself, we would want nothing more than to return to our beloved area. We were beyond thrilled when the City of New Orleans accepted our bid to have a restaurant at the beautiful Joe Bartholomew Golf Course. We are looking forward to seeing returning customers (and gaining new ones) as well as the many golfers that enjoy the wonderful golf course. Having grown up in Gentilly, we are both committed to bringing positivity, jobs and of course delicious food to our wonderful neighbors! See you in early September!"
Joseph M. Bartholomew Municipal Golf Course is an 18-hole, par-72 course measuring between 5,314 yards to 6,823. Owned and operated by the City of New Orleans' Department of Parks and Parkways, the course includes a double ended driving range, putting green and a newly renovated clubhouse, including a meeting room and restaurant. Last year, the course hosted more than 26,000 rounds of golf played. Originally opened as the Pontchartrain Golf Course in 1956, the Joseph M. Bartholomew Golf Municipal Course was renovated in 1979 and renamed to honor the first African American inducted into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame.
Upon the lease expiration of the previous restaurant operator, Parks and Parkways released a Request for Proposal to obtain a new operator. The Munch Factory was selected and plans to open in mid-September.
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