The Kern family, the float-building dynasty behind Kern Studios and Mardi Gras World, has taken an ownership stake in Galatoire's, the French Quarter mainstay, in a deal announced Yesterday. The move links two of New Orleans' most recognizable hospitality names and creates an eye-catching pairing of parade fabrication and fine dining under one local power umbrella.
The Kerns are joining an existing ownership group that includes John Georges, Todd Trosclair, Boysie Bollinger and Galatoire's president Melvin Rodrigue. The latest shift was disclosed in an ownership update, as reported by NOLA.com, where Georges described the Kern investment as "substantial."
From floats to fine dining
Barry Kern, president and CEO of Kern Studios and Mardi Gras World, said joining the ownership group of Galatoire’s was a natural fit because their work highlights the city and its iconic attractions, according to NOLA.com. It is a tidy bit of local symmetry: the company that designs and builds Mardi Gras floats and large-scale props for parades, theme parks and corporate clients now also has a stake in one of the dining rooms where those same revelers celebrate.
Kern Studios, which also operates the Mardi Gras World attraction, highlights a multigenerational history in parade production and entertainment fabrication that stretches back decades, according to Kern Studios. The family business has long treated Carnival as both craft and commerce, and this latest move extends that reach into one of the French Quarter's marquee restaurants.
Galatoire's legacy and local footprint
Galatoire's has served diners on the 200 block of Bourbon Street since 1905 and was named the James Beard Foundation's Most Outstanding Restaurant in the United States in 2005, according to the restaurant's own history. Over time, that single dining room has expanded into a small constellation of French Quarter properties.
The brand now includes Galatoire's "33" Bar & Steak next door and the larger Galerie de Galatoire on Royal Street, turning the name into a cluster of neighboring venues rather than just one address. Galatoire's describes those additions as part of a careful, multi-year expansion of the restaurant's footprint, not a wholesale reinvention.
What the change might mean
Kern Studios has been a highly visible player in the city's parade economy, and local leaders and trade partners have repeatedly pointed to Mardi Gras tourism and related events as major drivers of business across New Orleans. Plugging that promotional muscle into a storied dining room gives both sides another way to work the same crowd.
The U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy has highlighted Mardi Gras and related attractions as a significant economic engine for New Orleans, the same ecosystem that both Kern Studios and Galatoire's help support. The U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy has reported on the scale of Carnival-related activity and Kern Studios' role in that larger network.
Company representatives have not released detailed financial terms, and the announcement framed the addition of the Kerns as an extension of partnerships between long-running New Orleans institutions rather than a shake-up. For now, Galatoire's will continue under its existing leadership, with Melvin Rodrigue serving as president and CEO while the restaurant's foundation and events remain part of its civic presence.
