Dormant for a decade, a classic French Quarter restaurant space gets new life. - by Ian mcnulty
Revisiting a historic New Orleans building after too long can feel like seeing an old friend again, especially when it’s in the French Quarter.
Stepping into one storied Rampart Street restaurant space recently, for the first time in more than a decade, felt like watching someone start a new chapter.
The new restaurant is called Succotash. It is poised to breathe new life into the property at 1041 Dumaine St. that, in different phases of its history, has been home to highly significant French Quarter dining destinations, starting with Marti’s in the 1970s and ‘80s and continuing with Peristyle for many years after.
It has sat dormant since 2015, after the closure of the last restaurant there, which was also called Marti’s though unrelated to the original.
Succotash is now in the final phases of development, with an official opening slated for New Year’s Eve and regular hours to begin after that…..Read more.
Located in the former Marti’s, Succotash Will Be Driven By Reinvention - by Brent llenos smith
Sitting vacant since 2014, the former Marti’s is fully renovated and set to become Succotash, an elevated Southern restaurant driven by the sense of a Second Act.
The building at the corner of North Rampart and Dumaine Street was home to several restaurants over its 100-plus years. Purchased by former White House advisor Cedric Richmond and local political consultant Blair Boutte in November 2024, the owners had been making repairs and cosmetic upgrades when they sold the building to Succotash owner Kimberly “Chef K” Cochran. The chef has poured nearly $1 million into modernizing the building while keeping its historical nature intact.
Cochran recently told What Now New Orleans that the building “needed a lot of love,” but the bones of the building were perfect for her concept.
“You can tell that real chefs, real restaurateurs created this space,” she said. “I literally didn’t have to move a door or knock out a wall.”
Also in her Second Act, Cochran became a chef after growing frustrated with her corporate job. The financial stability of that job allowed her to launch a successful culinary career path and open Succotash.
“I was very fortunate that I was able to say, [expletive],” she mused. “I wanted to be a private chef. I wanted to be a caterer. Because I’ve loved cooking my entire life.” …Read More