BOSSIER CITY, La. -- A new restaurant and the return of a historic carousel could mark the beginning of a revival for the Louisiana Boardwalk in Bossier City.
Chef Gabriel Balderas, owner of two successful Shreveport restaurants, is preparing to open The Brine in one of the Boardwalk's prominent riverfront dining spaces. If city inspections go as planned, the restaurant could welcome its first customers in about three weeks.
Balderas said the restaurant will feature Southern-fare cuisine while also serving as a venue for community events.
"I feel like it's exciting," Balderas said. "We're excited to do something different."
"Our concept here will be mostly Southern-fare food, but we'll also have events," he added.
For many longtime ArkLaTex residents, the Louisiana Boardwalk was once a bustling entertainment destination that drew visitors from across the region. Over the years, however, many businesses closed, storefronts sat vacant and foot traffic declined.
Balderas hopes his investment can help change that.
The restaurant's name, The Brine, pays tribute to the nearby pickleball complex, The Picklr. Beyond offering food, Balderas said he wants the business to become a destination that encourages more visitors to return to the Boardwalk.
Meanwhile, workers are putting the finishing touches on rehabbing the Boardwalk's historic carousel, with Louisiana-themed features, including decorative crawfish.
"Pretty cool," worker Wade Chandler said. "I didn't even know they had all these working parts, lights and stuff like that."
Visitors also hope the new additions will help bring families back to the riverfront.
"I feel like it's going to bring a lot of attention ahead and bring something for the kids to do," visitor Tyler Johnson said. "I really wish they would come out here and have more stores and bring more traffic out here. I think it would be more fun. I miss the old Boardwalk."
Balderas said his goal extends beyond opening another restaurant.
"We like to be a destination," he said. "I think the Boardwalk once was a destination, and we'd like to bring customers back."