Project Spotlight: House of Blues New Orleans Restaurant and Bar Reimagined

Nestled in New Orleans’ French Quarter is the House of Blues (HOB), a national live music and dining brand known for fun, funk, and effortless cool. House of Blues’ parent company, Live Nation, engaged GOAT in 2019 to redevelop the casual restaurant and bar at the center of their historic Vieux Carre building.

One of the goals of the project was to reimagine the restaurant and bring the HOB brand into the 21st century through a more modern and sophisticated design, all while maintaining its folk authenticity and funkiness.

“To achieve this balance, GOAT deployed a palette of rich, warm materials like leather, copper, cork and wood,” shared the design team, which consisted of Peter Spera III, Colin VanWingen, and Alex Swiggum.

The project features two primary focal points: a stunningly crafted oak bar and, on the opposing side of the dining rooms, a custom painted backdrop for live performances and a unique background for social media posts.

“The performance backdrop was conceived by GOAT as an ode to the greatest musicians to ever wield the guitar,” explains the design team. “An abstracted American flag, the custom mural is composed of hand painted representations of the favored guitar straps of some of history’s most iconic shredders.”

After the completion of the renovation of the House of Blues restaurant in early 2020, Live Nation also engaged GOAT to reimagine its Voodoo Garden. While the project did not move forward due to the pandemic, you can find all the design plans for the renovation of the existing entry, courtyard, and bar here: https://www.nolagoat.com/voodoo-garden.