Once a culture hotspot, this Baton Rouge icon returns to Overpass area as restaurant

Everything old is new again.

In one fell swoop, the vibrant Overpass dining scene is getting a new resident and bringing back a Baton Rouge icon. The Colonel's Club will be an elevated neighborhood restaurant located at 2857 Perkins Road, a site that has housed two previous versions with the same name.

The original Colonel's Club was known as Baton Rouge's bohemian culture hot spot in the 1960s and then, in the early 1990s, it was again a music venue and restaurant. 

Owner Jordan Piazza and his team are taking over the space that most recently housed Kalurah Street Grill to create a gathering place that will serve American favorites with a worldly influence.

The project has been in the works for Piazza for a while. He began working on the concept in 2023. 

"The more we learned about the history of the building, the more we knew it had to return to The Colonel’s Club," Piazza said in an email. "We are leaning into the history of the building to create an experience unlike anything that’s been there before."

The history

In 1936, entrepreneur and pilot Jess "Colonel" Sheppard built the space before the construction of the Overpass — he originally used the building as a mechanical shop and hangar.

Sheppard often flew with his dog, a Doberman pinscher, as co-pilot and brought a few notable guests along for the ride, including Huey Long and Barry Seal. The Doberman will be implemented into the new logo for the restaurant. 

Later, the building was used as a refrigeration trade school, a voting precinct and private club with live music and gambling, known as The Colonel's Club. According to a 2008 edition of "Currents" from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the club was the center of the Overpass area's music scene in the 1960s.

In November 1990, Kenny Sexton opened The Old Colonel's Club — in recognition of the previous Colonel's Club — as a restaurant and bar.

A newspaper article from The Advocate in 1993 states: "It took imagination, ingenuity, hard work and faith to transform a dank, 1930s warehouse which had been closed for 20 years into a cozy restaurant with the charm of a French Quarter dining establishment." 

One of the interior features of The Old Colonel's Club was a bar topped with veined pink marble, which Sexton found in the rubble during renovations. Apparently, the marble was left over from the construction of the State Capitol in 1932, according to the story. 

"Its central location, moderate prices, comfort food, nimble wait staff and accommodating hours have attracted a clientele comprised primarily of professional men and women, LSU staff members and professors and neighborhood residents," Chet Folkes wrote. "Sexton said sorority house mothers use the place as a haven to enjoy a quiet meal in the relaxing atmosphere." 

Through the decades, a variety of musical acts have graced the building: Johnny Rivers, Leon Medica, M.C.5, Gee Gee Shinn and the Rollercoasters, Okra and John Fred and His Playboy Band. 

The building also housed Chelsea's Cafe, which closed in 2015 and was famous for its grilled cheese and tomato basil soup. In 2016, Brad Watts opened Kalurah Street Grill with Chad Hughes until it closed after seven years. 

The born-again space will include a lounge, which will feature a fireplace, live music and cocktails. The restaurant will include a second bar and several dining areas.

Piazza has tapped local design firm Tiek Byday to handle the renovations. 

"We look forward to bringing The Colonel’s Club back to life this summer," he said.