KEY TAKEAWAYS: Jayson Seidman plans to transform the former SnoWizard site at 4001 Magazine St. into an all-day café and restaurant. Plans call for a restored 1,500-square-foot building and about 1,600 square feet of outdoor dining space. The City Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal, which still requires New Orleans City Council approval. Seidman is targeting a late 2027 opening and also plans a French Quarter restaurant, Oak Street bar and expansion of Fives.   A prominent Magazine Street corner long associated with SnoWizard is slated for new life as an all-day café and restaurant from New Orleans hospitality developer Jayson Seidman. The founder and CEO of Sandstone Ltd. plans to transform the former SnoWizard sno-ball stand at 4001 Magazine St. into an indoor-outdoor neighborhood restaurant. The yet-to-be-named café would restore the existing 1,500-square-foot building as an indoor dining room seating about 30 patrons, while adding approximately 1,600 square feet of open-air dining, landscaping, exterior renovations, and other improvements designed to create a morning-to-night gathering place. The project is also intended to maintain the character of the nearly century-old building, including its distinctive exterior neon features and SnoWizard-related ornamentation that made the site recognizable for years. “This is about bringing a very visible, long-enjoyed Magazine Street corner back into commerce in a way that respects the building and the neighborhood,” Seidman said. “My family lives a block off Magazine, and I felt there was a real need for a walkable, indoor-outdoor, elevated café with fresh, healthy food, local and seasonal ingredients, and a family-friendly atmosphere. The goal is to create a place that is useful all day — from morning coffee and breakfast to lunch, happy hour drinks, and dinner — and becomes part of people’s regular routine.” The well-known property at the corner of Magazine and Constantinople streets is owned by Margaret Floyd and her brother, Richard Dragisic, who co-own several properties in the 4000 block of Magazine Street. Seidman said he is serving as the developer and future operator under an agreed-upon lease that will take effect once the property is ready. The proposal recently received unanimous approval from the City Planning Commission, which will recommend the project to the New Orleans City Council. Because the site falls within Magazine Street’s special zoning overlay district, the restaurant still needs council approval before the project can move into permitting. The overlay requires new restaurants along Magazine Street that plan to serve alcohol to secure conditional use approval before applying for building and related permits. Once approved by the council, Seidman would move forward with construction documents, seek bids from general contractors, apply for historic tax credits and building permits, and begin renovations. He said a late 2027 opening is the current target. Seidman said the intended business model is designed around the rhythm of Magazine Street, beginning with neighborhood traffic in the morning, continuing through retail activity during the day, and shifting into more of a dinner-focused energy in the evening. “You have locals early in the morning stopping by for fresh-baked breakfast and coffee before the retailers open. Then the retail foot traffic carries you through lunch and the afternoon. By five or six o’clock, it shifts into more of a dinner energy for locals and out-of-town visitors.” Seidman said the Magazine Street café fits within a broader strategy of investing in New Orleans neighborhoods through elevated hospitality concepts rooted in place, design, and daily use. “This is about creating an elevated, high-quality hospitality option that complements the neighborhood and the other businesses around it,” Seidman said. “The owners of the property are excited, the neighbors are behind it, and we are ready to return this space to the market.” Seidman said the project also reflects his confidence in the Uptown retail market. “The Uptown retail market is strong and heading in the right direction,” Seidman said. “You’re seeing new businesses, respected retailers, and strong restaurant groups opening along Magazine Street because locals are supporting them, and people visiting New Orleans are willing to come Uptown and explore the beauty and charm we offer.” The project adds to Seidman’s expanding hospitality portfolio in New Orleans and beyond. His New Orleans projects have included The Columns, The Drifter, and Hotel Saint Vincent, along with Texas properties such as East Austin Hotel, The Thunderbird Marfa, The Basic Marfa, and Hotel Ranch Motel in San Antonio. In addition to the new venture on Magazine Street, Seidman also plans to open a French Quarter restaurant and an Oak Street bar within the next six months, with names and locations to be announced later. He also plans to expand Fives, his Jackson Square oyster and cocktail bar, by 1,200 square feet into an adjacent space. The Fives expansion will allow the restaurant to accommodate more private dining, table service, and event demand, he said. “Fives has been well received, and the request we get often is for private dining or more table service, so we’re expanding into the space next door to accommodate demand,” Seidman said. ...read more read less