Gary J. Wood | CC Flickr
A Palace Cafe kitchen manager was recognized for his contribution to New Orleans tourism during the National Travel and Tourism Week, according to an announcement by the restaurant last week.
Palace Cafe kitchen manager Eric Offray was honored as the NTTW 2023 Tourism Champion during the 40th anniversary of the week, which lasted from May 7-13. Organized by Washington D.C.-based U.S. Travel Association, the week is in its 40th year and is an “annual tradition celebrating the value travel holds our economy, businesses, personal well-being and more,” according to the association’s website.
The Quarter Rat reached out to the Palace Cafe, a Dickie Brennan’s affiliated restaurant located at 605 Canal St., but has not heard back yet.
The restaurant posted a statement to social media on Thursday:
In 1996 he walked through the doors of Palace Café and it changed the course of his life forever. Steve Pettus, then Operations Manager (now partner/owner of Dickie Brennan and Co.), as well as others, saw Eric’s potential and pushed him to excel past his position of warewasher. Eric grew his role to receiver and then Kitchen Manager, where chefs and management alike will attest to his ability to run the wheel and help ensure food service runs smoothly. Eric always has a smile on his face and is willing to go above and beyond to take care of a guest or coworker. In addition to his duties as Kitchen Manager, Eric has been working with our sister restaurants’ heart of the house teams, sharing best practices and processes to ensure the properties are cleaned appropriately. You can ALWAYS count on Eric. Whether it’s outside his normal work schedule or on his day off, if you need help, Eric is there. When he is not working, Eric is also a prominent member of the Zulu Social Club, where he helps with many of their charitable events.
Palace Cafe