Creole 2 Geaux opens first brick-and-mortar in Arena District

Taijuan Moorman, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read

You can now get a little slice of New Orleans in Columbus' Arena District.

Creole 2 Geaux opened its brick-and-mortar location at 401 N. Front St. on Feb. 28.

Janvier and Sharif Ward's New Orleans-inspired eatery—which serves shrimp and chicken po'boys, creole bowls, jambalaya and more —debuted as a food truck in 2015 and at East Market in 2022. This is the restaurant's first standalone location.

Janvier said the Arena District location would be the restaurant's home base, with many of its most popular dishes moving to the new location.

"Those recipes are so special near and dear to my heart," Janvier said. "I just wanted to keep them consistent."

Janvier said the Arena District location provides a place for their traditional New Orleans dishes and for trying creative fusion dishes. The menu features jambalaya mac and cheese, chicken and deluxe creole bowls, and new to the menu are gumbo and a creole ramen dish.

March 6, 2023; Columbus, OH, U.S.; The deluxe creole bowl, the jambalaya mac and bowl, the Creole ramen bowl and a shrimp Po'boy sandwich from Creole 2 Geaux in the Arena District. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch
March 6, 2023; Columbus, OH, U.S.; The deluxe creole bowl, the jambalaya mac and bowl, the Creole ramen bowl and a shrimp Po'boy sandwich from Creole 2 Geaux in the Arena District. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch

The East Market location still has po'boys, red beans and rice, bourbon chicken and rotating specials.

And as far as desserts, the restaurant has bread pudding, mini cheesecakes from the Bearded Baker, and pralines, or pecan candy, from Deez Cookies.

Janvier said Nationwide Realty Investors, which owns the building, gave her a lot of creative leeway for making changes to the space. She's made it her own, giving it a "soulful vibe" with a New Orleans-inspired mural by Columbus artist Arris' Cohen and hand-painted tiles inspired by her late brother, the New Orleans rap record label No Limit and New Orleans culture.

March 6, 2023; Columbus, OH, U.S.; Creole 2 Geaux is now open in a new location at 104 N. Front Street in the Arena District of Columbus. Creole 2 Geaux debuted as a food truck in 2015 and at East Market in 2022. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch
March 6, 2023; Columbus, OH, U.S.; Creole 2 Geaux is now open in a new location at 104 N. Front Street in the Arena District of Columbus. Creole 2 Geaux debuted as a food truck in 2015 and at East Market in 2022. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch

She has also set aside a place for local artists. In the back is a wall for artists to display and advertise their work free of charge.

The space also has bar seating, with Creole 2 Geaux's liquor license in the works. The bar will serve traditional cocktails and frozen daiquiris like Janvier's other East Market booth, NOLA Daq Shack.

The space is fitting for a fast-casual restaurant, with cozy seating that could fit 15 to 20 people, she said.

March 6, 2023; Columbus, OH, U.S.; Creole 2 Geaux is now open in a new location at 104 N. Front Street in the Arena District of Columbus. Creole 2 Geaux debuted as a food truck in 2015 and at East Market in 2022. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch
March 6, 2023; Columbus, OH, U.S.; Creole 2 Geaux is now open in a new location at 104 N. Front Street in the Arena District of Columbus. Creole 2 Geaux debuted as a food truck in 2015 and at East Market in 2022. Mandatory Credit: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch

Janvier can't believe she's reached this "pivotal point" in her business.

"Going from a food truck to now ... you can come in and eat, you actually could sit down and enjoy your lunch and dinner and have a conversation with your friends," said Janvier. "It's just amazing. I'm still in awe."

The restaurant will cater to a lunch crowd on Monday and Tuesday with an express menu, with longer hours and a full menu later in the week.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@taijuannichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New Orleans eatery Creole 2 Geaux opens location in Arena District