Member Focus: Deniseea Head, Owner, Founder, and Mixologist Extraordinaire of Chicken and Champagne New Orleans

Where are you from? Tell us a little more about your background. 

I'm originally from Los Angeles, born and raised. I studied fashion and product development there and eventually decided to move to New York after that because I had always dreamed of moving to New York City. I made it there with $600 in my hand, ready to go.

While in New York, I played around with fashion a bit, but got more into entertaining. Over time, I got sick of New York, not sick of the city but of being there full time. I had the idea to go visit New Orleans. I got down here and fell in love with the city immediately, I went back home, grabbed my stuff and moved in three months!

Once I moved, I got into cocktails and the history of everything because it's so rich in history down here. So that's how everything sort of catapulted for me. 

What was the moment that really made you want to move here?

I felt good when I was here. I love LA and it's beautiful. That's where I'm from; but there's a certain amount of pressure that you get in a city like that. There was a lot of pressure living in New York, too. So I felt a release when I was down here in New Orleans. I also felt like I could add something to the city. I saw where I could be of service and fit in, and that's what got me here.

Whats your favorite part about living here?

My favorite part about living in New Orleans is that it's okay to take a break. It's okay with everybody if you need a moment, if you need to reset. It's much more understanding than the rest of the world. New Orleans makes me feel like we’re in a different world here. 

New Orleans reminds me of New York in a weird way as well. In New York you can do and be anything you want. And I think that's what it has in common with New Orleans. I went into a bar sometime last year and there were clowns everywhere. Drinking and talking, and I looked at the bartender and asked what was going on and he said “oh it's a clown group”.  I said “a clown group? Oh, so they all like clowns just hanging out”. And he said yeah; and that was that, no further explanation. More or less, you will never be lonely in New Orleans. You will find your tribe here no matter who you are. 

So what are you doing currently (and how did it all start)?

So when I came here, I got behind the bar by accident. I walked into a bar and this woman working there said “Hey, I actually need someone to work here, do you want to do it?” It was an easy yes.

So I went in, I learned bartending and everything. While I was behind the bar, I just wanted more of it, I wanted to do more with cocktails and mixology and learn more about the city. 

I was always interested in history and especially Black history. So fast forward to after the pandemic. At that point I had done a lot of events and worked at several bars. I started creating Instagram stories about Black history, and in between I would make a cocktail, or showcase a recipe; and it just flourished into my business, Chicken and Champagne.

I host these experiences and courses that involve mixology and Black history. I strive to remind people that you can have great cocktails and drink responsibly, but there's also history and a story in the glass. History can be hard and boring, but if I give you a great cocktail, and add a story, you're more likely to remember it! 

How did you hear about Common House?

I have some friends that live near Richmond, Virginia. I remember hearing about Common House there, but never got to go. I would have never thought that we would get one down here, but it makes so much sense. I think it really does. It's the perfect place for it. 

As creatives, we need other places to be able to work, and a place like this (Common House) recognizes that. There are entrepreneurs and artists that need a place. There's not a place like that at all here, and New Orleans deserves the new shiny things just like anywhere else.

I'm excited that Common House is opening during the summer because it lets us rewrite what New Orleans summer means. In the summer, tourists leave and people go away, and that's fine. It's our city, we should be able to sit and enjoy and be at the rooftop for the summer and not have to leave town. It does feel like a club.  But how a club should feel, like you belong!