New Orleans' most decorated cocktail team is about to take over one of Decatur Street's most storied storefronts. Jewel of the South plans to open The Cocktail Hour, a limited-run bar residency, on October 29 at 1104 Decatur St., the longtime home of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, with a 30-week run built around theatrical, immersive production design and a rotating cast of guest bartenders.
The residency, first reported by Axios, will split the first floor of the building between The Cocktail Hour and And the Wolf, a spinoff restaurant from the Turkey and the Wolf team. The Cocktail Hour itself will spread across full bars on both the first and second levels, plus a courtyard, an expansive upstairs balcony, and live music. Axios reports that co-founder John Stubbs said the team has spent time considering how to improve the guest-shift experience for visiting bartenders, and that the project aims to create a cultural exchange centered on New Orleans cocktail culture.
A Building With Decades of French Quarter History
The Decatur Street address carries its own layered history. The building housed Margaritaville for 22 years before it closed in June 2015 to make way for B.B. King's Blues Club, according to OffBeat Magazine, cementing the lower Decatur corridor as a long-running anchor for live music and dining in the French Quarter.
Per Axios, Jewel of the South started The Cocktail Hour as pandemic-era pop-ups before scaling it into this current residency. The team now holds the Decatur Street space for one year, with options to renew, the same report notes.
Guest Bartenders From Around The World
The scale of the program is what sets it apart from a typical pop-up. The Cocktail Hour will host guest shifts with bartenders from about 30 bars. Axios describes the residency as a 30-week cultural exchange program. Visiting bartenders will spend the week experiencing New Orleans before working three nights behind The Cocktail Hour bar, and the Jewel of the South team will manage all three of the residency's bars throughout, per the same account.
Guiding the immersive elements is creative director Deke Dunne, who works at Allegory bar in Washington, D.C. and will create cocktails alongside each visiting bartender, according to Axios. Dunne previously served as beverage director at Allegory, where he designed narrative concept menus including the 2022 “Down the Rabbit Hole” comic book menu and the 2025 “Banned in D.C.” menu, as reported by StarChefs. He transitioned into hospitality from Capitol Hill political work before launching those acclaimed D.C. menu concepts, StarChefs notes. Axios adds that Dunne will focus on immersive elements alongside Derek Brown, and that the residency's design will update throughout its run in alignment with five New Orleans cultural seasons.
Leadership Steeped In James Beard Pedigree
Chris Hannah leads the Jewel of the South team, and his résumé carries serious weight in the city's cocktail world. Before co-founding Jewel of the South in 2019 with partner John Stubbs, Hannah spent 14 years managing the French 75 Bar at Arnaud's Restaurant, according to BARTENDER.com. Hannah has helped revive the Brandy Crusta.
Jewel of the South itself won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program in 2024 and was named Best U.S. Bar Team at the 2024 Spirited Awards during Tales of the Cocktail, BARTENDER.com reports. This past April, the bar ranked #6 on North America's 50 Best Bars list, marking its fourth consecutive year in the top 10, while Hannah received the Roku Industry Icon Award at the same ceremony, according to a report from New Orleans.com. Jewel of the South takes its name from a mid-19th-century French Quarter bar operated by Joseph Santini, per BARTENDER.com.
Turkey And The Wolf's Expanding Footprint
On the food side, chef Mason Hereford brings similar national credibility. His flagship sandwich shop Turkey and the Wolf was named America's Best New Restaurant by Bon Appétit in 2017, and Hereford was named a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur in both 2024 and 2025, according to materials from Turkey and The Wolf. Hereford has expanded his New Orleans footprint over the years with spinoff concepts including Molly's Rise and Shine and Hungry Eyes.
The new And the Wolf concept will open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. beginning October 29, per Axios, though its menu remains largely in development.
Timing A Bet On Winter Tourism
The Cocktail Hour is scheduled to open nightly from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. starting October 29, running straight into the city's peak tourist season.
The residency will bring visiting bartenders to New Orleans for a 30-week cultural exchange centered on the city's cocktail culture.
