New Orleans East is lining up a new nightlife destination with a very recognizable local imprint: Lounge XII is in development and will honor the late Jacoby Jones, the New Orleans-born football star whose No. 12 and Super Bowl heroics remain easy shorthand for big plays. The venue is expected to bring sports-viewing energy to the East, although the operators have not yet released an opening date or full concept.
According to WhatNow, the project is led by Paul Pitcher, a longtime business partner of Jones, and will take over the space that previously housed Show Island Bar and Grill and Floating Island Bakery Café. The Chef Menteur Highway site gives the project an existing commercial home, but the exact mix of food, drinks and entertainment remains under wraps.
There is already a public zoning breadcrumb behind the plan. New Orleans City Council minutes show the council approved a conditional-use request in September 2025 to permit a bar at 9511 Chef Menteur Highway, subject to two provisos. That approval does not announce Lounge XII or establish a launch date, but it helps explain how a bar concept can move forward at the site.
The Number Behind Lounge XII
The Roman numeral is not random branding. WhatNow reported that Lounge12.com currently redirects to Mr. 108, Jones’ official site, while the NFL identifies Jones as a New Orleans native and credits him with the 108-yard kickoff return in Super Bowl XLVII. His No. 12 jersey is the direct inspiration for the lounge’s name.
A Business Partnership With Football History
The Jones-Pitcher connection also predates this proposed venue. A 2017 profile from First Down Funding identified Pitcher as managing partner and Jones as the initiative’s commissioner, showing that the two had already built a business relationship well before Lounge XII entered the picture. The new lounge is therefore being framed as an extension of that partnership, rather than a celebrity name pasted onto a random bar.
Lounge XII’s timing also tracks with a broader push to put more activity in New Orleans East. On July 8, the City of New Orleans announced Investment and Job Corridors for the area, saying new employers and jobs should create demand for restaurants, retail, hotels and entertainment. A new sports-oriented lounge would fit neatly into that economic-development pitch, though it remains to be seen how the project will translate the strategy into a busy night out.
For now, the headline is the name, the location and the connection: Lounge XII is being positioned to carry Jones’ number into a neighborhood that city leaders are trying to re-energize. Opening details and the venue’s full food-and-drink lineup are still forthcoming, so New Orleans East will have to wait a little longer to find out whether the tribute comes with wings, cocktails or both.
