Monsoon Vietnamese Cuisine at 55 Monroe Center St. NW has found its new owners after being listed for sale for four months. Raphael and Jessica Jones, who closed the deal mid-November, are transforming the space to house a New Orleans-inspired concept called Garden District. This news was first seen in Crain’s Grand Rapids.
“This will be our first restaurant, but both of us had years of experience in operations. Grand Rapids is fast growing, but there is a hole in the scene when it comes to Cajun and Creole food and we want to change that,” Raphael Jones told What Now Detroit over the phone.
According to Crain’s, the restaurant’s name pays tribute to the historic Garden District in New Orleans, which is home to some of the nation’s top chefs, such as James Beard Award winners Jamie Shannon, Emeril Lagasse and Tory McPhail.
“We’re going to capture New Orleans food, and we want to name (the restaurant) after the New Orleans hot spot for food,” Jones told Crain’s.
The Jones plans to close Moonsoon within the first two weeks of January for some minor interior renovations to better reflect the Garden District concept. The new restaurant will open in late January or February 2025, with Jones’s brother, a New Orleans chef, overseeing the menu to ensure authentic flavors. The menu will include classic New Orleans fare and various po’ boy sandwiches, as well as classic New Orleans cocktails like the hurricane and daiquiris.
Once up and running, Garden District will open from Monday through Saturday and close on Sunday and will serve lunch and dinner, Jones said, adding they may explore Saturday brunch options down the road if it makes sense.
