The WOW Chicken Wing Folks Just Bought an Iron Chef’s Empire

ACQUISITIONS — The Louisiana company behind WOW Cafe, PJ’s Coffee, Boardhouse Serious Sandwiches, and The Original City Diner (famous for a pancake that fits in a pizza box), Ballard Brands, just threw down a cool $5 million to buy Philadelphia-based Iron Chef Jose Garces’ restaurant empire. The Garces Group, which fired for chapter 11 bankruptcy, includes Amada, Tinto, and Volver in Philadelphia and Ortzi in New York City. Garces is a regular on the Food Network circuit. [E]

COMEBACKS — Lakeview Harbor, located on Harrison Ave for 25 years before losing its lease to Three B’s burger restaurant and wine bar, has thrown open its doors by Lakeview’s Harbor. Opening hours are Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday until 1 a.m. at 8550 Pontchartrain Blvd. The restaurant plans to add delivery in the near future. [FACEBOOK]

COMING ATTRACTIONS — 10 Foot Pizza, a New York style pie joint with meat, cheese, and vegan toppings is taking over the former Dreamie Weenie’s spot on Rampart Street with plans to open mid-May. It’s also an extension of Red Truck Gallery. Dreamie Weenie’s shuttered last year. [NOLA.COM]

Also, Half Shell, a seafood restaurant from Gulfport, Mississippi described as fitting on a scale somewhere between Ruth’s Chris and Applebee’s will land in Covington this July. [NOLA.COM]

Meanwhile, developers are tossing around the idea of putting a coffee shop in a retail space planned for the lot on the corner of State and Magazine that was a Shell station. [Uptown Messenger]

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