A taste of the N.O. rebuilds in B.R.

Never in a million years did Vincent Butler and Henry Augustus think they would have to relocate their restaurant and nightclub, Vincent’s City Club, from the thriving New Orleans-East area to Baton Rouge. But a hurricane named Katrina left a devastated Lake Forest Plaza Mall, the restaurant’s former location, in shambles and the two owners looking for resolve.
“It was his (Augustus) idea to open in Baton Rouge,” Butler said.
Butler said he went to Maryland after the storm and was adamant about not coming back. However, Augustus said he knew he could revive the pair’s restaurant by relocating to Baton Rouge; somehow Butler was persuaded.
“I was like, ‘I ain’t coming back,” Butler said. “The mall was devastated, and I left.”
And now, all tunes have changed from not coming back to Louisiana to not leaving. The co-owners plan to establish themselves as part of Baton Rouge’s culture, as they did in New Orleans.
“We don’t plan on leaving,” Augustus said. “We plan to make this home. When I saw all of our people up here and I (also) knew New Orleans East wouldn’t be rebuilt any time soon, I knew we had to do something.”
Vincent’s has been a mainstay in the New Orleans culture since 1998. Catering to “mature adults,” the club has been an after-work escape for professionals and a weekend getaway for “grown folks” throughout the Crescent City.
So much of the New Orleans culture is Vincent’s that many of those who relocated after Katrina congregate there just to spot friends not seen since before the hurricane.
“We have a steady influx of old faces,” Butler said. “We also still have people drive from New Orleans and LaPlace.”
The club is also a welcome for those in Baton Rouge who used to take the one-hour drive east on U.S. Interstate 10 to 5700 Read Blvd.
“We’d like to offer Baton Rouge the same as we did in New Orleans. We had live jazz and nationally recognized comedians. We’d like to give Baton Rouge a little of that.”
Adjusting to the city has not been a problem for Butler and Augustus. However, adjusting to the city ordinances has taken some time. While in New Orleans, Vincent’s did not reach its “peak,” Butler said, until 2 a.m. Unfortunate for some, it’s 2 a.m. when everything shuts down in Baton Rouge.
“It’s been a little strange for us,” Butler said. “We didn’t let up ’til four or five in the morning. At 2 o’clock, we were still charging admission in New Orleans. Here, people are looking at their watches getting ready to go around 1:45.”
The co-owners said despite the “time differences” in Baton Rouge, business has still been good and major reasons for their thriving locale include the three managers who stood by them when the club reopened.
Prior to the hurricane, Colin “Chuckie” Sylvien, general manager; Maria Aguillard, bar manager, and Scott Joseph, assistant manager, were helped keep Vincent’s running in New Orleans. When it came to reopening, it was a no-brainer the trio said.
Aguillard said she was in Opelousas and on her way to Virginia when she was informed of the reopening. She said she could not see herself working for anyone else.
“These are two of the best people I’ve ever worked for,” Aguillard said. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”
Augustus said though Vincent’s is to remain a permanent part of the Baton Rouge scene, no one is ruling out rebuilding a new one once New Orleans gets back on its feet.
“We can do both,” Augustus said. “It can be done.”
Dawn Collins, 35, was born and raised in Baton Rouge before moving to New Orleans. After the hurricane, she was forced to move to Baker and said having Vincent’s in Baton Rouge was one of the little things she could appreciate.
“I’m glad he brought a little bit of New Orleans flavor here,” Collins said. “The same atmosphere and vibe of the old Vincent’s is definitely here now.
“A place such as Vincent’s is definitely needed for Baton Rouge’s culture.”
 
Vincent’s City Club
7132 Florida Blvd.
Lunch/Dinner Hours
Mon. — Fri. : 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sat. & Sun. : Noon to 10 p.m.
Late Night Dining & Entertainment
Fri. & Sat. : 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.