Audubon Nature Institute Selects Crew to Bring Waterfront Hospitality to Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park
Audubon Nature Institute has selected the waterfront hospitality group Crew through a public request for proposals to develop and operate a restaurant and bar in the pavilion at Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park and to provide food and beverage service for festivals and events. Led by New Orleans natives Alex and Miles Pincus, the New York-based group will bring its nationally recognized hospitality-based approach to waterfront renewal to the banks of the Mississippi River, helping to reimagine and renew the most historic stretch of the city's reimagined riverfront.
The site is where New Orleans was born: a portage point between the Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain for Native Americans, the “batture” riverbank during the earliest French settlement, and a bustling commercial wharf for nearly two centuries until the 1970s. Reclaimed for the public as Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park, the site now connects five surrounding neighborhoods and creates a unique gathering place for the city to celebrate and reconnect with the mighty river. Through its partnership with Audubon Nature Institute, Crew will re-energize the riverfront, bringing back a civic treasure for locals to enjoy and creating a must-see destination for visitors.
The Pincus brothers’ winning proposal for Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park draws on over ten years’ experience revitalizing the New York City waterfront. Collaborating with city leaders, municipal agencies, and major non-profits, Crew has developed and operated transformative waterfront destinations in Hudson River Park, Governor’s Island, and Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Their celebrated restaurants include Grand Banks, The Yacht Club, Fireboat, Drift In, and Montero’s in New York, plus Seaworthy and the recently opened Holywater in New Orleans.
Raised along Lake Pontchartrain and Bayou St. John, the Pincus brothers are lifelong sailors and have built their restaurants and bars to share the spirit of maritime adventure. Their latest partnership with Audubon represents a meaningful homecoming for them, combining their deep experience in creating world-class waterfront destinations with their bones-deep connection to New Orleans.
“Like many New Orleanians, Miles and I grew up on the water, and ever since we were little kids, the Mississippi has called us to its banks,” said Alex Pincus, Crew’s CEO. “The opportunity to help bring this extraordinary stretch of riverfront back into the everyday lives of New Orleanians is incredibly meaningful to us. We've always believed that the best waterfront destinations are places where nature, culture, and history intersect, and that's exactly what we hope to do here. We want to create a place that feels like it belongs in the city and to the city, where neighbors from across New Orleans can get together, reconnect with the river, and be at home.”
“Crew’s selection as Audubon’s partner for this space reflects its proven experience creating exceptional destinations across the country, combined with a deep appreciation for local heritage and an innate understanding of what makes New Orleans so unique,” said Michael J. Sawaya, Audubon Nature Institute CEO and L. Ronald Forman Chair in Conservation Leadership. “Sweeping city views, passing ships, and cooling river breezes will make this an experience unlike anywhere else in the world. We are confident in Crew’s ability to create an extraordinary setting for food, drink, and connection along the riverfront, helping us fulfill our promise of creating a welcoming, vibrant destination for locals and visitors alike.”
As part of the partnership, Crew will oversee hospitality operations at the park's pavilion and provide food and beverage service for festivals and events, bringing its experience in waterfront dining and large-scale gatherings to the park's cultural life. Together, Audubon and Crew envision a destination that encourages connection and enhances the park's role as a gathering place for residents and visitors from across the city.
The partnership marks an important milestone in the ongoing transformation of New Orleans' riverfront. Through its Riverfront for All initiative, Audubon transformed the former Governor Nicholls Street Wharf into six acres of public green space, helping create a continuous, two-and-a-quarter-mile connection from Spanish Plaza to Crescent Park. Shaded seating, a marsh-themed playground, and the pavilion now welcome the public onto a stretch of the Mississippi that remained inaccessible for generations. More than an expansion of public green space, the park creates meaningful connections between neighborhoods and restores access to river views that have long been central to the city's identity.
Audubon Nature Institute operates a network of attractions, parks, nature trails, and research facilities including Audubon Aquarium, Audubon Insectarium, and Audubon Zoo. Its work spans wildlife conservation, protection of native Louisiana habitats, education, and public recreation. Crew brings a complementary commitment to sustainable seafood, historic preservation, and healthy waterways, including its longstanding partnership with Billion Oyster Project and its Save Our Stripers campaign to restore Atlantic striped bass populations.
Together, Audubon and Crew are helping shape the next chapter of New Orleans' relationship with the Mississippi, creating a place where neighborhoods meet, communities gather, and the river once again becomes part of everyday life.
Additional details about Crew's forthcoming waterfront restaurant and bar will be announced closer to opening.