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Pictured above from left – Kirk Estopinal and Neal Bodenheimer of Cure Co. along with Bryan Dias of The NOLADrinks Show at Cure in Uptown New Orleans.
This time around on The NOLADrinks Show, we chat with the co-founders of Cure Co., Kirk Estopinal and Neal Bodenheimer. Both have been on the program individually a handful of times, but never together! As Cure, their inaugural New Orleans hospitality spot, approaches its fifteenth anniversary and Cane & Table, their second spot, celebrates its ten year, it’s a great time to talk with them about their story. We cover a lot of ground from the earliest days at Cure to the present day operating a full-blown hospitality group!
Pictured above from left – Kirk Estopinal and Neal Bodenheimer of Cure Co. and Bryan Dias of The NOLADrinks Show chatting in the offices of Cure Co. in New Orleans.
We visit with Neal and Kirk at Cure, their first space located on Freret Street in Uptown New Orleans. It’s a fitting spot to discuss their journey over the years operating Cure Co. We talk about how they met and how they both got into the bar business. We discuss the early days getting things off the ground and how Cure fit (or, perhaps, didn’t a bit!) in the NOLA landscape.
Moving forward we talk about the expansion of Cure Co. (“Cure Collective” that is) to include numerous hospitality spaces around New Orleans as well as their spot, Dauphine, in Washington DC. Aside from Cure, we chat extensively about their second space, Cane and Table, as well as their other French Quarter bar, Peychaud’s. Not to be left out, we also touch on Val’s and Cure at the NOLA airport. Of course, we highlight some of the talented folks who have worked for and with them over the years, too.
It’s an interesting and fun conversation that not only tells their story but also reflects so much of the bar and drinks business over the past 15-plus years. This includes both their efforts as authors of cocktail books, dealing with the changes in the industry, and a lot more!