It’s only been four short years since Da Levee opened their doors at 765 North High Street, infusing the Short North food scene with a much-needed shot of cajun/creole fare. Known for a daily rotation of scratch-made meals, the small eatery is set to expand its operations.
A second location on the north east side of the city will open in roughly three months. This new branch will be a take-out only restaurant, with little more than an order counter up front.
What this location really offers though is space. At just under 1,000 square feet, the new restaurant will have more than double the kitchen capacity than the original (800 square feet as opposed to 300), and feature a 14-foot hood, more than three times the size of the 4-foot hood at the current store.
This means that food production should triple at the new location, the real motivation behind opening the second store. Owner Justin Boehme didn’t want another dine-in just yet so that food preparation could take center stage.
“The big intention is to cook more food. Then, we can sell more food,” shares Boehme. “Once we can produce the amount of food we need, we can expand our catering operations, which is a big part of what we do, and the next step we need to take.”
The menu, as well as menu prices, will stay the same at the new restaurant, which also comes with lots of free parking. There will not be a bar like at the original, but in the future, customers could see the addition of one, as well as an outdoor patio and small dining room.
But that’s a considerable ways away, unlike the opening. Boehme and his team have been working for almost four months on this project, and promises to reveal the address of Da Levee 2 in the next week once all details are finalized.
Da Levee is available to cater weddings, graduation parties, corporate events, or any other kind of celebration. They hope to become a bigger part of the downtown food truck and cart scene this year, as well as show up on the festival circuit, especially now with the expansion in food production.
Once launched, Da Levee 2 will be open Tuesday-Saturday, noon – 7pm, or thereabouts as they get a feel for the neighborhood. For more on the upcoming opening, visit www.dalevee.com.
