By Savannah Guyer
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A slice of New Orleans cooking has transplanted itself near campus.

Augusta Restaurant and Catering, 630 Iowa Ave., will hold its grand opening on Thursday, but until then, the restaurant will be open for a lunch and dinner buffet in commemoration of Mardis Gras.

“We always celebrate Mardi Gras,” said Jeri Halperin, a co-owner of Augusta. “It’s a tradition we’ve kept since we were located in New Orleans, and not one we’re letting go of soon.”

This is the restaurant’s third move since being displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It spent a few years thriving in Oxford, Iowa, but the new Iowa City spot is one the entire staff looks forward to, Halperin said.

The menu consists of traditional Southern comfort foods such as fried chicken, and classic Creole cuisine such as jambalaya.

Derek Perez, another co-owner of Augusta, said most of the clients in the Oxford location actually came from Iowa City.

“I’d say 95 percent of the people we serve are from around here, and being located closer to them makes it better for both us and them,” he said. “It just seemed like the right place, right time, right price, kind of thing for us to move.”

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Halperin said she’s looking forward to seeing how many regulars continue to support their business and how many new people decide to try their food.

“We absolutely love the Iowa City area and its atmosphere. We love the culture, the music, the people here,” she said. “A lot of our guests are located here in the city. There’s a better chance at success with moving here, and there’s a lot more catering opportunities and a lot more exposure for us.”

Augusta is now in the system for University of Iowa catering, and there are other restaurants hoping to partner with the diner, Halpherin said.

UI senior Adam Vink, a waiter at Augusta for the last two years, said he’s very happy with the owner’s decision to move the restaurant.

“What I’m most excited for with this new location is our ability to share our product with more people,” Vink said. “We went from being in a town of 800 to a town of 80,000, which is a huge difference. We’re now able to reach a whole area of people we’ve never had the chance to before.”

Vink said that he believes UI students and Iowa City natives will enjoy being closer to Augusta.

“There were a lot of people who couldn’t get to us when we were in Oxford because they didn’t have cars,” said Vink. “Now, we get to expand and make our restaurant more accessible for a lot of people who weren’t able to get to us as easily as before.”