Following his graduation at the Tulane University Law School he joined the family business, which included two dozen outlets from California to Florida and including Texas and, particularly, New Orleans. His popular restaurant, the Commander's Palace, earned a James Beard Award for "outstanding service" in 1993 and was cited as the "outstanding restaurant" in 1996. He originated the restaurant's jazz brunch and seemed whenever he was on duty to inspect personally every plate before it went to the customers. Each day, Brennan went over the soup offered at Commander's Palace in the Garden District: gumbo, turtle soup, and the soup of the day. No place sells as much soup as restaurants in New Orleans", he often said. In 1984, Brennan and his sister, Ella, co-authored The Commander's Palace New Orleans Cookbook. Brennan and his family developed new ideas for Creole cuisine. Brennan worked closely with Paul Prudhomme after Prudhomme joined the Commander's Palace staff in 1975. The two formulated dishes that became particularly popular, such as pecan-crusted Gulf fish. Brennan also worked with Prudhomme's successor as top chef at Commander's Palace, Emeril Lagasse, who subsequently built his own restaurant empire. Dickie Brennan & Company operates more than a dozen restaurants in New Orleans alone, including in addition to the Commander's Palace, Dickie Brennan'sBourbon House Seafood, Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse, Mr. B's Bistro, the Palace Café, and Dickie Brennan's Tableau. He took over the Friendship House restaurant in Biloxi, Mississippi. Another branch of the family continued to operate the original Brennan's on Royal Street in New Orleans. With a nephew nearly his own age, Owen Edward "Pip" Brennan, Jr., Brennan revived in 1969 the Mardi GrasKrewe of Bacchus to attract tourists. Brennan was involved in the formation of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and was a past president of the Louisiana Restaurant Association. He also sat on the board of the National Restaurant Association.
Private life
At Tulane, Brennan met his wife, the former Lynne Trist. There are two Brennan children, Lauren B. Brower and husband, George, and Richard Brennan, Jr.. Both work in the family restaurants. He was survived by two sisters, Ella and Dorothy Brennan, and six grandchildren. His parents, brothers Owen Edward Brennan Sr., and John, and sister Adelaide Brennan, predeceased him. Richard "Dickie" Brennan, Jr., described his father as "kind, gentle, and giving. He was a mentor, visionary, leader and statesman. He loved his family, friends, staff, city, state and country. His motto was 'Leave it better than you found it.' He was the ultimate New Orleanian and a true Irishman!... Chef-owner Frank H. Brigtsen, Jr., agreed, "His mark is felt throughout the city of New Orleans, a testament to a life well lived."
Death
Brennan died on March 14, 2015 in New Orleans. A funeral mass was held on March 20; interment was private.
