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.

Kid Biz – Out to Lunch – It’s New Orleans

According to government statistics, about 30 million Americans are under 5 years old. That’s a big market. But even in today’s generation of accelerated development, it takes a while before kids want to buy stuff. But little kids sure like to do stuff.

Peter’s guests on Out to Lunch have businesses whose clients are little kids who like to do stuff. Stuff like big kids do. Or even adults.

Bella Bedortha

Bella Brown Bedortha’s business is called Kidding Around Yoga. As the name suggests, it’s yoga for kids. Starting as young as 4.

Marla Miller

Marla McAlister Miller drives what looks like a school bus. But it’s actually a mobile gymnastics studio called Tumblebus.

Both Tumblebus and Kidding Around Yoga are recent businesses that are spreading across the country like Taco Bell.

Bella Bedortha, Marla Miller, Peter Ricchiuti

The toddler market is a hugely expanding demographic. Both Bella and Marla’s businesses are bursting at the seams and ready for expansion.

Photos at Commander’s Palace by Alison Moon.

Realtor Tracey Moore