It’s New Orleans: Out to Lunch

Hosted ByPeter Ricchiuti

Tulane University A.B. Freeman School of Business finance professor Peter Ricchiuti holds court over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. Peter's lunch guests are New Orleans business people, from startups to CEO's, from artists to tech entrepreneurs, musicians to movers-and-shakers. New Orleans is on everybody's list as a great place to party but it's also on many lists of the best place to start a business. Peter's deeply knowledgable and equally levity-laden approach to business conversation neatly makese sense of the Crescent City's contradictions.

Tinsel Town – Out to Lunch – It’s New Orleans

The film business continues to grow so quickly that the term “Hollywood South” is becoming less of a quaint marketing moniker and more literally true with every movie that shoots here. Giant productions like Jurassic Park II and The Arnold Schwarzenegger franchise Terminator numbers 4, 5, and 6 are on the way.

Part of the reason for Hollywood South’s growth is financial – State tax credits – and the other part is crew and facilities now available here. On Out to Lunch host Peter Ricchiuti explores both these areas with two of the city’s leaders in film financing and film production.

Peter Ricchiuti Susan Brennan Lenny Alsfeld

Peter’s guests on today’s show are Susan Brennan – founder and CEO of Second Line Stages, the giant soundstage in the Garden District where movies like Django Unchained and The Green Lantern were shot – and Lenny Alsfeld, CEO of FBT Investments and its Film and Entertainment division.

susan Brennan and Lenny Alsfeld give career advice

But not everything in Tinsel Town on the Bayou is sparkling. In the listener questions portion of the show Susan and Lenny respond to accusations from local film industry folks that they are being overlooked for work in favor of an influx of carpetbaggers. 

lenny alsfeld peter ricchiuti Susan Brennan - their pets are at home

In the Pay it Forward section of the show Peter, Susan, and Lenny discuss K9 Second Line, dog walking and pet sitting service who will send you emails, texts and pix of your pet during the day. 

Realtor Tracey Moore