Although each of us is free to believe whatever we want, when it comes to our personal finances, we tend to operate with a number of shared beliefs. One of these is the belief in the benefit of ownership. For example, it’s better to own your own business than be an employee.

Financially, that benefit is not necessarily true. Many startup business owners go for years before they even pay themselves at all. And many employees make a lot of money.

Emotionally and psychologically, though, it’s a different story. Because happiness is, by definition, how you feel – owning your own business can be the greatest thing ever - if you feel good about the inevitable challenges it brings.

Both of Peter's guests on this edition of Out to Lunch have taken the leap from employee to owner. And both of them have businesses that are dependent not just on their business acumen, but also on their singular talent and taste.

Sue Zemanick started her career in New Orleans in 2003 as a chef at Commander’s Palace. By 2005 she was Executive Chef at Gautreau’s in Uptown New Orleans. In 2013 Chef Sue won a James Beard Award for “Best Chef, South.” In 2019 she opened her own restaurant in Mid City, called Zasu. In 2025, Zasu earned the Olympic Gold Medal of hospitality, a Michelin Star.

Zasu is one of only a handful of restaurants to earn Louisiana's first-ever Michelin stars — and the only one run by a woman.

Margaret Sche came to New Orleans from Los Angeles where she had been a fashion stylist, merchandiser and trend forecaster. Margaret was surprised to find there wasn’t a women’s fashion store here that was truly reflective of the style of the city, and the flair of its female fashionistas. She corrected that gap in the market with a store, called The Saint Claude Social Club.

Today, the store is called The Closet by Saint Claude Social Club, and it has a whole different business model. It’s a fashion rental store – a real-world version of online fashion rental businesses like Rent The Runway and Nuuly, but with a local-focus. It has a curated collection of fashion ranging from Mardi Gras ballgowns to vintage finds that Margaret picks up in Paris.

When you start your own business making widgets, you hope to eventually get to a point where the widget factory rolls along and keeps making money even when you’re at Disney World. But when you start a business that depends entirely on you – like your own restaurant or a curated fashion boutique - you’re not just making widgets. You’re creating experiences for other people.

People don’t eat in a Michelin Star restaurant just to get enough carbs to get through the next 8 hours. And they don’t go to a curated fashion boutique to find clothes just to keep warm. The types of businesses Sue and Margaret are running demand the same kind of business skills as it takes to run a widget factory, and a whole lot more. Their businesses wouldn’t exist without their particular talents, creativity, and imagination.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.

Although each of us is free to believe whatever we want, when it comes to our personal finances, we tend to operate with a number of shared beliefs. One of these is the belief in the benefit of ownership. For example, it&rsquo;s better to own your own business than be an employee.
Financially, that benefit is not necessarily true. Many startup business owners go for years before they even pay themselves at all. And many employees make a lot of money.
Emotionally and psychologically, though, it&rsquo;s a different story. Because happiness is, by definition, how you feel &ndash; owning your own business can be the greatest thing ever - if you feel good about the inevitable challenges it brings.
Both of Peter's guests on this edition of Out to Lunch have taken the leap from employee to owner. And both of them have businesses that are dependent not just on their business acumen, but also on their singular talent and taste.
Sue Zemanick started her career in New Orleans in 2003 as a chef at Commander&rsquo;s Palace. By 2005 she was Executive Chef at Gautreau&rsquo;s in Uptown New Orleans. In 2013 Chef Sue won a James Beard Award for &ldquo;Best Chef, South.&rdquo;<a href="https://www.zasunola.com/"> In 2019 she opened her own restaurant in Mid City, called Zasu</a>. In 2025, Zasu earned the Olympic Gold Medal of hospitality, a Michelin Star.
Zasu is one of only a handful of restaurants to earn Louisiana's first-ever Michelin stars &mdash; and the only one run by a woman.
Margaret Sche came to New Orleans from Los Angeles where she had been a fashion stylist, merchandiser and trend forecaster. Margaret was surprised to find there wasn&rsquo;t a women&rsquo;s fashion store here that was truly reflective of the style of the city, and the flair of its female fashionistas. She&nbsp;corrected that gap in the market with a store, called The Saint Claude Social Club.
Today, the store is called <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theclosetbyscsc/">The Closet by Saint Claude Social Club</a>, and it has a whole different business model. It&rsquo;s a fashion rental store &ndash; a real-world version of online fashion rental businesses like Rent The Runway and Nuuly, but with a local-focus. It has a curated collection of fashion ranging from Mardi Gras ballgowns to vintage finds that Margaret picks up in Paris.
When you start your own business making widgets, you hope to eventually get to a point where the widget factory rolls along and keeps making money even when you&rsquo;re at Disney World. But when you start a business that depends entirely on you &ndash; like your own restaurant or a curated fashion boutique - you&rsquo;re not just making widgets. You&rsquo;re creating experiences for other people.
People don&rsquo;t eat in a Michelin Star restaurant just to get enough carbs to get through the next 8 hours. And they don&rsquo;t go to a curated fashion boutique to find clothes just to keep warm. The types of businesses Sue and Margaret are running demand the same kind of business skills as it takes to run a widget factory, and a whole lot more. Their&nbsp;businesses wouldn&rsquo;t exist without their particular talents, creativity, and imagination.
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at&nbsp;<a href="https://thecolumns.com/">Columns in Uptown New Orleans</a>. You can find photos from this show by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/">Jill Lafleur</a> at <a href="https://pod.fo/e/41dcce">itsneworleans.com</a>.

OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Olreans. In his 15th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti’s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Olreans. In his 15th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti&rsquo;s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Commander's Palace restaurant.

It's New Orleans: Out to Lunch

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him for a midday bite. CEO's, startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, tech success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. 
You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor <a href="https://freeman.tulane.edu/faculty-research/finance/peter-ricchiuti">Peter Ricchiuti </a>conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him for a midday bite. CEO's, startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, tech success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. You can also hear the show on <a href="https://www.wwno.org/show/out-to-lunch">WWNO 89.9FM</a>.