NEW ORLEANS — Monday, Li'l Dizzy's Cafe had a line out their front door, and not just because it was red beans and rice day. Not much of the crowd was left over from Essence Fest as they tried to get one last bite of New Orleans.
Li'l Dizzy's co-owner Arkesha Baquet says this year was the busiest Essence Fest weekend they've had in years.
"This particular essence fest has been amazing. It’s been the best in the 3 years I’ve owned the restaurant. It’s record-breaking," Baquet said. "This is a great impact for the summer because it’s usually slow, so having the essence fest in July actually is a benefit for our business because most restaurants do slow down in the summer."
The restaurant is likely not the only local business that saw business booming over the weekend, as New Orleans and Company projects this was the most successful Essence Fest since 2019. Chief Marketing Officer Mark Romig says hotel occupancy was over 90%, and the convention center reports that at least 100,000 people went through their doors.
"2019 was a good year for us, and when COVID hit, people had to change their habits and how they traveled and how they interacted with people, and now they’re coming back, and they had just a blast," Romig said.
Plus, visitors definitely enjoyed their time.
"it was 10/10. I would definitely do it again," one visitor told us at the airport.
New Orleans and Company says it hopes this uptick continues throughout the rest of the year and into Super Bowl LIX.
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