Sponsorship Opportunities · 2026
GatekeepingNew Orleans
A Cultural Intelligence Firm
We are not asking you to sponsor a content creator. We are asking you to make a documented, visible commitment to the culture that makes New Orleans worth caring about.
By the numbers
12 Dinners · 6 Happy Hours · 6 Elevated
Documented
Restaurants Post-Katrina
The truth about New Orleans restaurants
The restaurants that made this city famous are still fighting to survive.
of restaurants that closed during the pandemic never reopened
New Orleans lost generational institutions, not just businesses
the cost pressure on food, labor, and rent since 2020
Operators are doing more with less while tourism revenue keeps climbing
of tourism billions that flows back to the local kitchens that earn it
The culture draws the crowd. The culture rarely sees the return.
Honest about our reach
What we can and cannot solve.
We are not solving everything. We are solving the part we can reach.
What this solves
+ Sponsor dollars flowing directly into locally-owned restaurants
+ Intentional, repeat foot traffic from a community that shows up on purpose
+ Editorial coverage and visibility restaurants cannot afford to buy
+ A documented cultural record that makes their existence permanent
+ Connection to brands who want proximity to authentic culture
What this does not solve
x Commercial rent and real estate pressure
x Labor shortages and wage gaps in the kitchen
x Access to small business capital and loans
x Health inspection costs and city licensing fees
x Tourism dollars flowing to hotel chains first
We cannot fix the rent. We cannot change the policy. But we can put the right people at the right tables and make sure that moment is documented, published, and permanent.
The Events
Two formats. One community.
Format 01
Keyholder Dinners
Intimate sit-down meals at locally-owned New Orleans restaurants. Each dinner is documented, photographed, and published by the firm. Attended by culture-bearers, creatives, and community members.
Format 02
Keyholder Happy Hours
Lower-commitment gatherings that grow the Keyholder community and offer an accessible entry point for new members and new sponsors. Same audience, lighter footprint. Documented and published by the firm.
Format 03 · Elevated
The Table You Cannot Get Into
A chef-collaborated set menu at a Black-owned New Orleans restaurant. Curated guest list. One presenting sponsor. The most intentional room we build all year. Every two months.
Sponsorship Tiers
Find your level of commitment.
Keyholder Dinner · 2 sponsors per event
Table Sponsor
$1,000–1,500 / dinner
Logo on dinner materials
Social media tag + story feature
Mention in GNO issue recap
Product featured at the table
Season Sponsor
$5,000 / 6 dinners
All Table Sponsor benefits
Brand story published by GNO
Product at every dinner
Co-branded content for your channels
Elevated Dinner · Black-Owned Restaurant · 1 presenting sponsor · Every other month
Elevated Presenting Sponsor
$2,500 / dinner
Sole presenting sponsor of the evening
Chef collaboration credit in all event materials
Full editorial feature published by GNO
Curated guest list access and presence
"The table you cannot get into."
6 times a year, at a Black-owned New Orleans restaurant, we build the most intentional room of the year. One chef. One menu designed for the evening. One sponsor whose name belongs there.
Happy Hour Sponsor
$500 / event
Logo on event materials
Social media tag + story feature
Bar tab or bites co-brand
Mention in Keyholder recap
Founding Partner
$15,000 / year
All dinners + all happy hours
Named year-long partnership
Exclusive cultural intelligence report
First access to Keyholder audience data
Who we're talking to
Three types of partners. One purpose.
Brands & Food Partners
Consumer Goods
You already sell to New Orleans. This is how you show up for it. Zapp's, Blue Plate, Abita, Sazerac. We know this conversation. Your product belongs at this table.
Banks & Financial Institutions
CRA-Qualifying Investment
The Community Reinvestment Act requires banks to invest in the communities they serve. Keyholder dinners are documented, intentional cultural investment. A stronger story than a charity gala. Liberty Bank, Hancock Whitney: this is your table.
Tourism & Economic Dev
New Orleans & Co · NOLABA · GNOF
We are the authentic local voice that drives visitor trust. When travelers find us, they spend differently: on the right restaurants, the right experiences, the right people.
The culture was always ours.
The forecast came after us. The credit went around us.
Now we are inviting the right partners to stand with us.
Get in Touch lynnwesleycoleman@gmail.com