The Dooky Chase restaurant in New Orleans is more than just the inspiration for The Princess and the Frog. The reopening of the eatery’s upstairs dining room serves as a reminder of its rich history.
Civil rights leaders gathered at the New Orleans restaurant to celebrate the space where organizers and participants in the 1965 fight for freedom gathered.
The reimagined upstairs dining room was unveiled on what would have been the 102nd birthday of its founder, Leah Chase. The Chase family partnered with New Orleans artists Ron Bechet and Ayo Scott, along with students from Xavier University’s art program, to create murals that highlight the rich history of the space, according to NOLA.com.
Doratha “Dodie” Smith-Simmons, a member of New Orleans’ Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), attended the reopening and expressed joy that “the place where it happened” is continuing to tell the story of the Civil Rights movement.
As the “first lieutenant” of CORE, Simmons helped organize boycotts, sit-ins, and picket lines at businesses with racist practices alongside other members. Dooky Chase served as a key meeting place for the group.
Murals and paintings of civil rights icons now fill the space, much like the activists once did.
“We honor the people who inspired that room, but it’s about people today seeing themselves in that room,” said Stella Reese Chase.
“We’re a multi-generational family restaurant, and we have multi-generational customers. We felt it was important to connect the generations here. We needed to give this back to our community,” she added.
At an event introducing Leah’s recently released cookbook and seasonings, Edgar “Dook” Chase IV shared his grandmother’s commitment to service and to the restaurants kitchen:
According to Dook Chase IV, the newly opened dining room will also serve as an event space for special occasions. Curated menus will change based on patrons’ needs.
Established in 1941 by Leah Chase, the venue is heralded for its excellent Creole cuisine. The community also knew it as a safe space for all races to congregate during segregation.
Smith-Simmons commented on the people who once gathered.
“They were brave,” she said. “They were putting their business on the line and their lives and the safety of their family. But they did what was right instead of following the law of the land at the time.”
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