Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn

What Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn does

Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn is a privately held, family-owned hospitality business established in 1976 by Zeb Mayhew, Jr., operating on the grounds adjacent to Oak Alley Plantation, a National Historic Landmark in Vacherie, Louisiana, situated along the Great River Road between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The company offers a vertically integrated hospitality product consisting of nine overnight cottages (Cottages 3-9 plus the Milkshed), the Oak Alley Restaurant serving Cajun and Creole cuisine for breakfast and lunch daily under Executive Chef Erin Rau, the West Pavilion banquet facility hosting weddings and corporate events for 50-150 guests, and an on-site gift shop. Cottage accommodations are the core product, with nightly rates ranging from $205 to $370 inclusive of a full country breakfast.

The business serves three primary customer segments: leisure travelers touring Louisiana's River Region plantation corridor, wedding parties, and corporate event planners. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer via the company's own website (reservations.oakalleyplantation.com), toll-free phone reservations (1-800-44ALLEY), and on-site sales for event bookings. Marketing relies on organic search, the company website, and prominent customer testimonials. Pricing is unit-based per cottage per night, with AAA and Military discounts (10% off room rates), additional guest surcharges for occupants over 12 ($35+ tax per night), and a 3% credit card fee.

Operational systems are described as standard property management and restaurant systems with no proprietary technology, no mobile application, no public API, and no disclosed AI or data capabilities. The company has no parent organization, no subsidiaries, no external institutional investment, and no disclosed funding rounds. It operates as an independent closely-held family enterprise supplemented by a critical coexistence relationship with the nonprofit Oak Alley Foundation, which owns the adjacent historic plantation site that drives foot traffic. Recent operational expansions have been modest and infrequent: three deluxe cottages were built in 2015 and the Milkshed cottage was refurbished in 2017, with no further capacity additions disclosed.

Name

Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn

Legal name

Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn

Website

https://oakalleyplantation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn is a privately held, family-owned Louisiana hospitality business operating nine overnight cottages, a Cajun/Creole restaurant, event venue, and gift shop adjacent to a National Historic Landmark between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. It serves leisure travelers, wedding parties, and corporate event planners through direct website and phone bookings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality and Event Services

NAICS

Bed-and-Breakfast Inns (721191), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Country Inns & Rural B&Bs (THAGAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Farm Stays & Agritourism Lodges (THAMADAH)

Keywords

• Historic plantation lodging
• Cajun Creole restaurant
• Wedding venue rentals
• Corporate event hosting
• Overnight cottage accommodations

Headquarters

HQ city

Vacherie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cottage Accommodations: Overnight cottage rentals ranging from $205-$370 per night with full country breakfast included. Additional charges apply for extra guests over 12 years old ($35+ tax per night).
2. Restaurant Dining: Breakfast served 8:30-10:00 a.m. and lunch served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. daily. The restaurant features Cajun and Creole cuisine including Crawfish Étouffée, Shrimp & Okra Gumbo, and the Vacherie Burger.
3. Event Hosting: Wedding ceremonies and receptions, corporate events, private parties, and group dining hosted at the West Pavilion Banquet Facility accommodating 50-150 guests. Packages include venue rental, catering, bar service, and on-site coordination.
4. Gift Shop: On-site gift shop selling local foods, regional photography, souvenirs, books, apparel, and gift certificates for restaurant, gift shop, and cottage stays.
5. In-Room Evening Dining: Pre-arranged evening meal delivery to cottages, ordered by 2:00 p.m. the day before arrival. The restaurant prepares and stores meals in advance for guests' later enjoyment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn operates overnight cottage accommodations (nine units including the Milkshed and Cottages 3–9 at $205–$370 per night with full country breakfast included), the Oak Alley Restaurant serving Cajun and Creole cuisine for breakfast and lunch, and the West Pavilion banquet facility hosting weddings, corporate events, and private parties for 50–150 guests with full-service catering and coordination. An on-site gift shop sells regional merchandise and gift certificates.

Product overview

Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn operates as a hospitality complex offering multiple integrated services: overnight cottage accommodations (nine units including the Milkshed), the Oak Alley Restaurant serving Southern/Cajun/Creole cuisine, event venue rental at the West Pavilion for weddings and corporate functions, a gift shop, and proximity to historic plantation tours. The cottage lodging serves as the primary accommodation product with breakfast included, while the restaurant, event services, and gift shop function as complementary offerings for guests and visitors. The business is operated by the Mayhew family and has been serving guests since 1976.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Oak Alley Restaurant: The on-site restaurant serving Cajun and Creole cuisine, open daily for breakfast and lunch.
• Oak Alley Plantation Cottages
• West Pavilion
• Spirit's Bar

Products and services

• Overnight Cottages Eight overnight cottages (Cottages 3–9) plus the Milkshed offering lodging accommodations with modern amenities and a full country breakfast included, ranging from one-bedroom units to two-bedroom configurations with features such as Tempur-Pedic mattresses, kitchens, screened porches, and varying accessibility options.
• Oak Alley Restaurant Southern cuisine restaurant serving breakfast (8:30–10:00 a.m.) and lunch (11 a.m.–3 p.m.) daily, featuring Cajun and Creole dishes such as Crawfish Étouffée, Shrimp & Okra Gumbo, and the Vacherie Burger. Full country breakfast is included with cottage stays.
• West Pavilion Event Venue Rental West Pavilion Banquet Facility offering venue rental for corporate events, social gatherings, meetings, private events, and rehearsal dinners; accommodates 50–150 guests with comprehensive services including catering, bar staff, china, table coverings, and on-site coordinators.
• Plantation Wedding Services Plantation wedding venue offering ceremonies and receptions for up to 150 guests at the Garden Gazebo and West Pavilion, including catering, bar service, and dedicated event coordinators across bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, luncheons, and receptions.
• Gift Shop On-site gift shop adjacent to the restaurant offering local foods, regional photography, souvenirs, books, apparel, holiday decorations, and gift certificates for the restaurant, gift shop, and cottage stays.
• In-Room Evening Meal Service Pre-arranged evening meal service for cottage guests, where meals are prepared in advance by the restaurant and stored in the cottage refrigerator for later enjoyment; orders must be placed by 2:00 p.m. the day before arrival.
• Corporate Event Hosting West Pavilion venue rental services tailored for corporate events including board meetings, award ceremonies, charity events, training sessions, holiday parties, corporate anniversaries, fundraising events, and workshops, with comprehensive catering, bar service, and on-site coordination.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Oak Alley FoundationcoreOthersThe historic grounds and exhibits of Oak Alley Plantation adjacent to the Restaurant & Inn are owned and operated by Oak Alley Foundation, a nonprofit organization. This is a critical relationship as the historic plantation site provides the primary attraction for visitors. The Restaurant & Inn operates separately but benefits from proximity to this historic attraction.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Houmas House Plantation & Gardens: Historic Louisiana River Road plantation featuring on-site cottages/inn, restaurant, event venue, and gardens. Directly comparable as a plantation-based lodging, dining, and event destination in the same geography.
• Monmouth Plantation: Natchez, Mississippi antebellum inn offering luxury cottage lodging, fine dining, and event hosting in a historic Southern plantation setting. Closely comparable inn + restaurant + events format anchored to plantation heritage.
• Madewood Plantation House: Historic Louisiana plantation operating as a bed-and-breakfast inn with dining and event hosting. Directly comparable as a small-scale plantation inn in Louisiana's River Region.
• The Myrtles Plantation: Louisiana antebellum plantation operating as a bed-and-breakfast inn with restaurant and event hosting. Comparable as a heritage plantation lodging and dining destination in the same state.
• Nottoway Plantation Resort: Louisiana plantation resort offering overnight lodging, dining, weddings, and corporate events on the historic Nottoway grounds. Operates a similar multi-revenue hospitality model anchored to a National Historic Landmark.

Broad incumbents

• Biltmore Estate: Massive historic American estate in Asheville, NC with on-site lodging, multiple restaurants, event venues, gardens, and retail. Represents the scaled-up version of the same heritage-property hospitality model.

Regional players

• Laura Plantation: Louisiana River Road Creole plantation offering tours and event hosting. Directly comparable in geography and heritage category, though operating primarily as a tour/event venue without lodging or restaurant.
• Destrehan Plantation: Historic Louisiana River Road plantation offering tours and on-site event hosting. Comparable in geography and category, though operating primarily as a tour/event site rather than a full lodging property.

Emerging players

• Belle Meade Plantation: Nashville, Tennessee historic plantation offering tours, wine/bourbon experiences, dining, and event hosting. Comparable as a Southern plantation heritage hospitality destination, though without on-site overnight cottages.
• Magnolia Plantation & Gardens: Charleston, South Carolina historic plantation with gardens, tours, restaurant, and event venue. Comparable as a heritage plantation hospitality and event destination in the broader U.S. South, though without overnight lodging.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/oakalleyrestaurant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn