The area would feature shops, attractions, and restaurants, like all other lands in the park. The Department for the NOS foods was numbered "Department 959" (each department in the park has its own unique department number) and was called "New Orleans Foods."
Sometime in the late 1980's, the term "foods" began to irk the Area Manager Rory, who insisted "we are not carrots!" Thus was born the name "New Orleans Restaurants."
The Department is composed of several locations. The locations within the Department are as follows (grouped by their "business unit," with their unique location numbers):
Blue Bayou - Loc. 651 Fantasmic Balcony - Loc. 687 Cafe Orleans - Loc. 652 Royal St. Veranda - Loc. 655 La Petite Patisserie - Loc. 689 French Market - Loc. 653 Mint Julep Bar (MJB) - Loc. 65E New Orleans Main Kitchen (NOMK) - Loc. 657 Westside Diner - Loc. 656 Stewards (MKH's) - Loc. 649
The Department consists of roughly 500 to 600 employees. In the past, there was one "Area Supervisor" to whom all these Cast Members answered. Assisting her were four to six "Supervisors." Depending upon which year/decade you're talking about, these supervisors may or may not have been assigned their "own" restaurant (that is, during some years they all supervised the various restaurants equally, without "ownership").
The Empowerment Evolution of 1995 brought serious changes. Gone was the Departmental System, to be replaced by a series of Business units: restaurants and locations that naturally work together would be grouped together, ideally to speed along competition with other business units and hypothetically maximize efficiency in the process (whether this works in practice is another argument altogether). The result was that the overseeing "Area Supervisor" became first an "Area Manager" (name change only) and then was eliminated entirely from the management structure. Instead of "Supervisors," each business unit would have a "Manager" in charge and two to three "Assistant Managers," all salaried. Although the original intent was to eliminate middle management, in essence this new structure actually added layers of management. There were more supervisors now then ever before (although with different titles). Under the new system, managers and assistant managers would concern themselves only with their own restaurant and satellite locations, the better to optimize their own sphere of influence.
Below you will find the appearance of the entire complex when I started work at Disneyland in 1987. Things have changed a little since then, most notably in menus and with the shops. This picture is from the 1987 official souvenir guide.
JUMPSTATION
Introduction to NOS RestaurantsBlue Bayou
Fantasmic Dessert BalconyCafe Orleans
Royal Street Veranda
La Petite PatisserieBackstage locations and offices
Meet the Cast!
Some NOS Restaurants Recipes
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