Big Freedia to Open High-Energy Hotel, Nightclub, and Restaurant in New Orleans

Internationally-known Queen of Bounce superstar and New Orleans native Big Freedia will open a boutique hotel, nightclub, music venue, and restaurant on the edge French Quarter near Frenchmen Street, as told to Essence in an interview this week.

Dubbed “Hotel Freedia,” at least for the moment, the hotel will have just three rooms, and Big Freedia’s culinary prowess will be a big part of the experience — she told the magazine that people will have a chance to “taste Freedia’s recipes,” implying the restaurant’s menu will be developed by the Queen herself. Freedia told Essense that “It will be a place where people can come if they want to have a cup of coffee in the morning and do some work on their computer, it will also be a great event space for people to come and have dinner.” She said the hotel, which will have a pool, will also turn into a club space and music venue for events. Eater has reached out to Big Freedia’s representatives for more information.

In addition to being a rapper, dancer, author, and public speaker, Big Freedia is a major cook. She first began showcasing her skills locally about six years ago with soul food pop-ups at Cafe Reconcile, then landed her own rosé and at one point worked on a cookbook. She’s long been known as a culinary tastemaker and ambassador for New Orleans, guiding fellow artists like Drake through their dining journeys when visiting the city (favorites she’s mentioned in the past include Manchu, Neyow’s Creole Cafe, Morrow’s, and the now-closed Gene’s Po-Boys. During the pandemic, she started live-streaming cooking shows and later hosted a host a series of live, outdoor cooking demonstrations at New Orleans’s City Park.

Big Freedia is set to perform at the grand return of Essence Festival in New Orleans, July 1 to 5.