Cottons Restaurant

What Cottons Restaurant does

Cottons Restaurant, operating as Restaurant Cotton, is a privately held multi-venue hospitality complex headquartered at 101 N Grand Street in Monroe, Louisiana, within the historic 1893 J.S. Bloch Building. Founded in 2008 by owner Dr. Jay Howell as one of the first restaurants to revitalize downtown Monroe in nearly 50 years, the company operates three distinct dining concepts under a single roof: Restaurant Cotton (Southern Delta comfort food for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch), Planter's Gastropub (second-floor pub with beer, bourbon, oysters, pizza, and balcony views of the Ouachita River), and The Eli (a Prohibition-era speakeasy-style bar with handcrafted cocktails and tapas). The business is part of the broader Five Senses LLC hospitality group, which also operates Aron's Diner, Cookies and Cream, Okaloosa, and the upcoming Gunpowder Hotel, indicating a portfolio strategy rather than a single-asset operator.

Revenue is generated entirely through transaction-based food and beverage sales across four streams: dine-in service across the three venues, online ordering and gift card sales through the Toasttab platform, private event hosting in four upstairs rooms accommodating 5-150 guests with on-site and offsite catering, and dual happy hour programs. Customer segments are diversified across local diners, private event hosts (weddings, corporate events, social gatherings), happy hour patrons (Mon-Thu 3-6pm), and weekend brunch guests. Pricing is per-unit for à la carte dining with a transparent $2/$4/$6/$8 happy hour structure, while private events follow per-person consumption-based pricing with food and beverage minimums and no room rental fee when minimums are met.

The underlying technology stack is commodity restaurant SaaS — Toasttab for ordering and gift cards, Exploretock for reservations, and a WordPress-based website with self-attested WCAG 2.0 accessibility compliance. There are no proprietary AI/ML capabilities, mobile apps, or custom-built platform features; differentiation rests on physical assets (the historic building, 7,000+ sq ft of dining space, river-view balcony), an award-winning handcrafted cocktail program (100+ wines, 40 bourbons, 20 whiskeys), locally-sourced seasonal menu positioning, and community engagement initiatives such as the 2024 'Steaks for State Champs' program. Distribution is regional, focused on Monroe and Northeast Louisiana, with no disclosed geographic expansion plans beyond the parent group's existing portfolio.

Name

Cottons Restaurant

Legal name

Cotton Restaurant

Website

https://restaurantcotton.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cottons Restaurant is a privately held multi-venue Southern Delta hospitality complex in Monroe, Louisiana, operating three dining concepts (Restaurant Cotton, Planter's Gastropub, The Eli) and private event services from the historic 1893 J.S. Bloch Building, as part of the Five Senses LLC hospitality group founded in 2008 by Dr. Jay Howell.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Full-Service Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants (THAFACAF), All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Southern Delta cuisine
• Private event catering
• Craft cocktail program
• Historic venue dining
• Gastropub restaurant

Headquarters

HQ city

Monroe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Dine-In Food and Beverage Sales: Primary revenue stream from serving Southern Delta cuisine, craft cocktails, wine, and beer to dine-in customers. Open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. The restaurant operates three venues within one building: Restaurant Cotton, Planter's Gastropub, and The Eli, each contributing to overall food and beverage revenue.
2. Online Ordering and Takeout: Customers can place orders online via Toasttab platform for pickup, generating revenue from food sales without dine-in service.
3. Private Events and Catering: Revenue from hosting private events (5-150 guests) in four upstairs rooms. Offers onsite and offsite catering including receptions, cocktail parties, buffets, seated dinners, and corporate grab-and-go menus. No room rental fee if food and drink minimums are met.
4. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards through Toasttab platform for use at the restaurant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Restaurant Cotton is a full-service Southern Delta comfort food restaurant operating as a three-venue hospitality complex in the historic 1893 J.S. Bloch Building in downtown Monroe, Louisiana. It serves lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch featuring creative Southern cuisine with locally-sourced ingredients, an award-winning handcrafted cocktail and bar program, and dedicated private event rooms accommodating 5–150 guests. The restaurant also provides offsite catering, online ordering, and gift card sales through the Toasttab platform.

Product overview

Restaurant Cotton operates as a multi-venue hospitality complex within the historic J.S. Bloch Building (erected 1893). The portfolio includes three distinct dining concepts: Restaurant Cotton (main Southern Delta comfort food venue), Planters Gastropub (second-floor pub with beer, bourbon, and pizza), and The Eli (Prohibition-era speakeasy with cocktails and tapas). Additional offerings include private event hosting across multiple rooms and themed happy hour programs at different venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Planter's Gastropub: Gastropub located above Restaurant Cotton featuring beer, bourbon, handcrafted cocktails, oysters, pizza, and balcony overlooking the Ouachita River
• The Eli

Products and services

• Restaurant Cotton (Dine-In Service)

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the first restaurants to revitalize downtown Monroe in almost 50 years when opened in 2008
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Peach Tree DentalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2024Local business partnership for the 'Steaks for State Champs' initiative. Peach Tree Dental collaborated with Restaurant Cotton and Aron's Pharmacy & Diner to recognize and appreciate local high school coaches who lead state championship teams. This collaborative effort aims to amplify community support for coaches.
• Aron's Pharmacy & DinerminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2024Local business partnership for the 'Steaks for State Champs' initiative. Aron's Pharmacy & Diner joined with Restaurant Cotton and Peach Tree Dental to celebrate coaching staff of local high school state championship teams with complimentary dinners at Restaurant Cotton.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Willie Mae's Scotch House: Legendary New Orleans fried-chicken and Southern comfort food destination with national acclaim. Comparable to Restaurant Cotton in its focus on elevated Southern comfort cuisine and strong regional/national media positioning as a destination Louisiana eatery.
• Commander's Palace: Iconic New Orleans fine-dining institution specializing in refined Creole/Southern cuisine with deep wine and cocktail programs. Comparable to Restaurant Cotton in its emphasis on elevated Southern comfort food, strong beverage program, and historic-building dining atmosphere.
• Restaurant R'evolution: Upscale New Orleans restaurant in the Royal Sonesta hotel offering contemporary Louisiana/Creole cuisine with an emphasis on local ingredients and craft cocktails. Closely comparable to Restaurant Cotton's Southern Delta comfort food positioning, locally-sourced philosophy, and cocktail-led beverage program.
• Husk Restaurant: Sean Brock-led farm-to-table Southern cuisine restaurant (originally Charleston, now multiple locations) emphasizing locally-sourced ingredients and Southern heritage cooking. Comparable to Restaurant Cotton's creative Southern cuisine and locally-sourced ingredient philosophy.
• Herbsaint: Donald Link's New Orleans restaurant offering refined French-influenced Louisiana cuisine with an acclaimed cocktail bar. Comparable to Restaurant Cotton in combining upscale Southern Louisiana cuisine with a destination cocktail program.
• Cochon: New Orleans Cajun/Southern-focused restaurant by Donald Link emphasizing heritage Louisiana cooking and craft cocktails in a warehouse-style setting. Comparable to Restaurant Cotton's creative Southern comfort food positioning and craft beverage focus.
• Galatoire's: Historic New Orleans French-Creole fine-dining institution operating since 1905 with a strong tradition of tableside service and classic cocktails. Comparable to Restaurant Cotton in its reliance on a historic building, classic Southern Louisiana cuisine, and long-tenured beverage program.
• Warehouse No. 1 Restaurant: Long-established Monroe, LA fine-dining restaurant offering contemporary American cuisine and private events in a converted historic warehouse. Comparable as a direct Monroe-market competitor operating historic-venue upscale dining with private event hosting.
• Cotton Row Restaurant: Upscale Southern-inspired farm-to-table restaurant in Huntsville, AL emphasizing locally sourced ingredients and a craft cocktail program. Comparable to Restaurant Cotton in its locally-sourced Southern cuisine positioning and award-winning bar program, though in a different geographic market.

Regional players

• The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint: Acclaimed Mississippi-based Southern BBQ/soul food destination with national media features and a destination dining reputation. Comparable to Restaurant Cotton in its emphasis on elevated Southern cuisine, regional brand recognition, and destination status in a smaller Southern market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/restaurantcotton
• Instagraminstagram.com/restaurant_cotton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cottons-restaurant

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Cottons Restaurant