It was once an old run-down sugar mill, a building which had been empty for over twenty years and was under the ownership of Fenner and Fenner Real Estate. Tiana's father was the first one to dream about opening a restaurant here, where he would serve his home-made gumbo together with his daughter Tiana. He couldn't save up for the place, though, because his family was poor and thus, he had to work three jobs to ensure they had enough money for living.
Role in the film[]
After Tiana's father passed away, Tiana started saving up to get the restaurant as well. She worked extremely hard and much to make sure she had enough money to pay for her and her mother's expenses, as well as save for the restaurant. She mostly saved up tips from her waitressing jobs. Once Charlotte La Bouff paid a large amount of money to her for a lot of man-catching advice, Tiana finally had enough and placed a bid on the old sugar mill. The Fenner Brothers then promised to bring her the papers to sign.
However, the Fenner Brothers later told her she was "outbid," but as it's unlikely that someone would bid on the mill in the same week Tiana placed her bid after twenty years of it being untouched, the Brothers probably made that up to prevent having to sell the mill to a woman of color. Once Tiana returned to the Fenners with her new husband Prince Naveen and her alligator friend Louis, she was able to pay for the building and open her restaurant.
With a lot of effort on her and her husband Prince Naveen's behalf, the sugar mill was transformed into a restaurant. Tiana took the name her father had imagined it, Tiana’s Place, but gave it a slight change, making it Tiana's Palace to emphasize her royal title. The restaurant became the crown jewel of New Orleans, even inspiring the other buildings in the neighborhood to become vibrant and re-inhabited. It became revered as the favorite restaurant of visiting royalty - Naveen's parents, the King and Queen of Maldonia and his brother, Prince Ralphie - and also hosted a live jazz orchestra, the Firefly Five plus Lou, led by Louis.
Trivia[]
There is a direct pun in the name of the band. The name "The Firefly five plus Lou" is a pun on the name of the band Firehouse Five Plus Two, which was a Dixieland jazz band, popular in the 1950s, consisting of members of the Walt Disney Studios animation department.
The theme design for Tiana's restaurant seems to be inspired from Lily of the Valley and Lotus.
In the English version of The Princess and the Frog, the poster of a fancy restaurant James wrote for his dream to come true prior to his death reads "Tiana's Palace". In the international versions, this was altered simply as "Tiana's" to get over the language barrier.
Bayou Boogie:Everyday Princess • Live To See You Smile • Shadow Man • Do What I Wanna Do • When You're In Love You'll Understand • Zippin' To The Zydeco • I Was Born To Blow This Horn • Play With The Band • Night and Day • Life In The Swamp • Love is a Magical Mystery • Sing Away The Blues • Mama Odie's Kitchen Song
Books:Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen • Once Upon a Time: Out of the Past • Once Upon a Time: Red's Untold Tale • Once Upon a Time: Regina Rising
Season One: "Pilot" • "The Thing You Love Most" • "Snow Falls" • "The Price of Gold" • "That Still Small Voice" • "The Shepherd" • "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" • "Desperate Souls" • "True North" • "7:15 A.M." • "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree" • "Skin Deep" • "What Happened to Frederick" • "Dreamy" • "Red-Handed" • "Heart of Darkness" • "Hat Trick" • "The Stable Boy" • "The Return" • "The Stranger" • "An Apple Red as Blood" • "A Land Without Magic"
Season Two: "Broken" • "We Are Both" • "Lady of the Lake" • "The Crocodile" • "The Doctor" • "Tallahassee" • "Child of the Moon" • "Into the Deep" • "Queen of Hearts" • "The Cricket Game" • "The Outsider" • "In the Name of the Brother" • "Tiny" • "Manhattan" • "The Queen Is Dead" • "The Miller's Daughter" • "Welcome to Storybrooke" • "Selfless, Brave and True" • "Lacey" • "The Evil Queen" • "Second Star to the Right" • "And Straight On 'Til Morning" Season Three: "The Heart of the Truest Believer" • "Lost Girl" • "Quite a Common Fairy" • "Nasty Habits" • "Good Form" • "Ariel" • "Dark Hollow" • "Think Lovely Thoughts" • "Save Henry" • "The New Neverland" • "Going Home" • "New York City Serenade" • "Witch Hunt" • "The Tower" • "Quiet Minds" • "It's Not Easy Being Green" • "The Jolly Roger" • "Bleeding Through" • "A Curious Thing" • "Kansas" • "Snow Drifts" • "There's No Place Like Home" Season Four: "A Tale of Two Sisters" • "White Out" • "Rocky Road" • "The Apprentice" • "Breaking Glass" • "Family Business" • "The Snow Queen" • "Smash the Mirror" • "Fall" • "Shattered Sight" • "Heroes and Villains" • "Darkness on the Edge of Town" • "Unforgiven" • "Enter the Dragon" • "Poor Unfortunate Soul" • "Best Laid Plans" • "Heart of Gold" • "Sympathy for the De Vil" • "Lily" • "Mother" • "Operation Mongoose" Season Five: "The Dark Swan" • "The Price" • "Siege Perilous" • "The Broken Kingdom" • "Dreamcatcher" • "The Bear and the Bow" • "Nimue" • "Birth" • "The Bear King" • "Broken Heart" • "Swan Song" • "Souls of the Departed" • "Labor of Love" • "Devil's Due" • "The Brothers Jones" • "Our Decay" • "Her Handsome Hero" • "Ruby Slippers" • "Sisters" • "Firebird" • "Last Rites" • "Only You" • "An Untold Story" Season Six: "The Savior" • "A Bitter Draught" • "The Other Shoe" • "Strange Case" • "Street Rats" • "Dark Waters" • "Heartless" • "I'll Be Your Mirror" • "Changelings" • "Wish You Were Here" • "Tougher Than the Rest" • "Murder Most Foul • "Ill-Boding Patterns" • "Page 23" • "A Wondrous Place" • "Mother's Little Helper" • "Awake" • "Where Bluebirds Fly" • "The Black Fairy" • "The Song in Your Heart" • "The Final Battle" Season Seven: "Hyperion Heights" • "A Pirate's Life"• "The Garden of Forking Paths" • "Beauty" • "Greenbacks" • "Wake Up Call" • "Eloise Gardener" • "Pretty in Blue" • "One Little Tear" • "The Eighth Witch" • "Secret Garden" • "A Taste of the Heights" • "Knightfall" • "The Girl in the Tower" • "Sisterhood" • "Breadcrumbs" • "Chosen" • "The Guardian" • "Flower Child" • "Is This Henry Mills?" • "Homecoming" • "Leaving Storybrooke"
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland: "Down the Rabbit Hole" • "Trust Me" • "Forget Me Not" • "The Serpent" • "Heart of Stone" • "Who's Alice?" • "Bad Blood" • "Home" • "Nothing to Fear" • "Dirty Little Secrets" • "Heart of the Matter" • "To Catch a Thief" • "And They Lived..."
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland: Wonderland Castle • The Mad Hatter's House • White Rabbit's House • Underland • Tulgey Wood Both series:Storybrooke • Maine • Enchanted Forest • Forbidden Fortress • Wonderland • Wonderland Maze • Agrabah • Sherwood Forest • The Sultan's Palace
Objects
Once Upon a Time: Once Upon a Time (Book) • Red Riding Hood • Maleficent's Staff • Magic Wand • Glass Slipper • Poisoned Apple • Spinning Wheel • Magic Lamp • Dark One's Dagger • Chipped Cup • Jefferson's Hat • Magic Beans • Captain Hook's Hooks • Enchanted Candle • Pixie Dust • Dreamshade • Salad Fork • Pandora's Box • Silver Slippers • Sorcerer Hat • Enchanted Broom • Trident • Enchanted Shell • Heroes and Villains (Book) • Merida's Bow • Magical Rose • Excalibur • Olympian Crystal • Cinderella's Dress • Golden Scarab Beetle • Rapunzel's Frying Pan • Magical Golden Flower • Shrinking Potion • Floating Lanterns • Tarot Cards • Maui's Fish Hook
Original Songs:Powerful Magic • The Queen Sings • Love Doesn't Stand a Chance • Revenge Is Gonna Be Mine • Wicked Always Wins • Charmings vs. Evil Queen • Emma's Theme • A Happy Beginning
