Serial Entrepreneur
It would be difficult to not find something to do on any given night in New Orleans.
From huge names at the biggest venues and restaurants teeming with patrons to bars hosting events every night of the week, there's always something you can get into. All of that entertainment creates competition for customers. Being able to persuade party-seekers to go to certain events seemed to come naturally to Larry Morrow when he started promoting parties in his early 20s.
After years of building up a loyal fanbase, Morrow switched gears into being an owner of his very own brick-and-mortar businesses. His successes have done so well here in his hometown that his sights are set on even larger areas in the near future.
Morrow began his impressive entrepreneurship by promoting heart-pumping nightlife events and bringing in throngs of paying customers, eventually starting his own company called Larry Morrow Events. Just having that name stamped on an event held the promise of an exciting night that you would definitely regret missing. "It became easier when I built a reputation for throwing some of the hottest parties in the South," Morrow quipped.
Though Morrow ventured into creating clubs of his own, including Treehouse off of Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard and Hide/Seek on Decatur Street in the French Quarter, he's heavily invested in an ever-growing roster of restaurants that span culinary styles just as much as they span the city.
His first foray into the realm of restaurants was the aptly named Morrow's on St. Claude Avenue in the Bywater/Marigny, which opened in 2018. With his mother Lenora Chong taking on the kitchen, Morrow was able to work his magic elsewhere. He noted, "My mom being the chef and focusing on the back of house and me focusing on drawing people into the building and focusing on aesthetics is the recipe for what's been built so far."
This recipe has worked for Morrow's and a string of other successful restaurants, including Monday Restaurant + Bar in Mid-City, Sun Chong in the French Quarter, and Morrow Steak in the Warehouse District. Opening later in 2024 is Spicy Mango, a vegan-forward Caribbean restaurant in the Marigny Triangle.
While the menus vary greatly between Morrow Hospitality's eateries, each one has a distinct focus on excellent service and exquisite aesthetics. "I think Morrow Hospitality is redefining what it is to party in New Orleans and what it is to dine. Dining across the world has become a lot different. It's about the vibe, the aesthetics, the sex appeal. Making everything sexy, beautifying everything. It is refreshing to bring new vibes and new energy to a city that is known for its tradition," Morrow said.
The emphasis that Morrow and his team places upon providing the utmost hospitality is purposeful. He explained, "We focus on the hospitality because when everything is strictly based upon the food, people go to your location just for food. And you have an off day, people may not give you another opportunity. But if you focus on not just the food but the hospitality, the vibe, the cocktails, people are willing to give you another chance because they're not just going there for the food. Try to think of it like hospitality. We like to lead with hospitality first. We're very hospitality driven."
Morrow keeps a close eye on how his customers react to the restaurants' successes and failures, and his team will implement change straight away in order to maintain that high level of quality to keep them coming back. "We suffer challenges all the time, but I think what makes us unique is a willingness to pivot when we need to," he explained. "Whenever we have issues that we come across, we don't wait for a week to address it. I'm so passionate and my team is so passionate that when we do come across an issue, we handle it right on the spot. We'll be quick to call a meeting and adjust. It takes a lot of work, but not being afraid to call a different play when you need it."
Morrow recognizes that his business success may have been helped along by the same people that flocked to the parties that he promoted when he first started out. They've grown together from late night/early morning events to fine dining in high-class surroundings. "The community has played a huge role in me and Morrow Hospitality," he observed. "I get a lot of support from the community since my early days of event promotion. I wouldn't be here without the support of the community, my friends, my family, and everybody who's contributed along the way."
While New Orleans has provided Morrow and his brands a great platform to learn, pivot, and prosper, he wants to break out and lend his services to other cities. His hospitality will extend farther than clubs and restaurants. He said, "Our future plans are to expand outside of Louisiana to Houston, Atlanta, Miami, and New York. I want to get into the hotel industry. Our goal is to be one of the largest Black hospitality groups in the industry, open up different locations, and hire some of the best help from all over the world to assist us in this journey. I want to thank everybody for the support. Morrow Hospitality would not be Morrow Hospitality without every individual's support in what we do."
