While Loft18 may have started as a golf simulator bar and restaurant in Metairie, the company has become much more, and now Loft18 is preparing to open two new locations in Lafayette Parish. The first new location is set to open in Broussard at 405 Albertson Pkwy. in April 2025, and the second location is planned to open soon after in the City of Lafayette.
Co-owner Greg Whitman recently told What Now New Orleans that when simulators provider Full Swing started adding different kinds of sport simulators, it allowed Loft18 to become more of an entertainment and hospitality option, and less of a competitor to companies like Topgolf.
“We started off with the golf simulators, but little did we know that Full Swing would start building software for all these different sports,” he said. “So, we went from golf to basketball to bocce ball to football and baseball. It broadened the appeal and allowed us to pivot and position ourselves as a restaurant.”
In addition to having sport simulators, Loft18 is a sports bar. There are many TVs at each location and the food menu offers classic pub grub, including chicken wings, burgers, and tacos. Whitman said a key part of the Loft18 brand is appealing to families, and that often means putting new locations in suburban areas. Although, he didn’t rule out new urban locations either.
“When you tap into suburban markets, you get more repeat customers and that family base,” he said. “Certainly, we want to capture that downtown business as well, which for us is corporate events and social mixers, but with having families also come in.”
