News Summary
New Orleans is facing a challenging period with nearly 20 restaurants and bars closing by mid-2025. Notable closures include Chef Nina Compton’s Bywater American Bistro, highlighting the struggles in the service industry during the slow summer months. Eight eateries have shuttered recently, citing decreased customer numbers and rising operational costs as contributing factors. The Louisiana Restaurant Association indicates independent restaurants are particularly hard hit as the city’s culinary scene navigates these turbulent times.
New Orleans is experiencing a wave of restaurant and bar closures, with nearly 20 establishments shuttering their doors halfway through 2025. The closures come as owners brace for the traditionally slow summer months, which typically sees a downturn in the service industry.
In the last month alone, eight restaurants have closed in anticipation of this seasonal slump. Notable among these is Chef Nina Compton’s Bywater American Bistro (BABs), which operated for seven years before closing at the end of May 2025. Compton will continue to focus on her other restaurant, Compere Lapin, which features a fusion of Caribbean and Creole cuisines and remains open in the Warehouse District.
Other recent closures include the French brasserie Justine, located in the French Quarter, which closed just before the summer slump on May 25, 2025. Asian fusion restaurants Maypop and MoPho, owned by Chef Michael Gulotta, also ceased operations, with Maypop closing on May 4 due to a building collapse that blocked access to its entrance. While the MoPho location inside Louis Armstrong International Airport is still operating, the downtown location has closed.
A downtown barbecue joint, which had a history of 25 years, closed its doors over Memorial Day weekend after the owners decided to take over Yum’s Cafe in Grand Isle. Tracey’s Original Irish Channel Bar also permanently closed its Magazine Street location at the end of May 2025 after relocating there only a year prior.
The Zony Mash Beer Project, a brewery that occupied a former theater, closed on June 1, 2025, after five years in business. Other notable closures include Trilly Cheesesteaks in Mid-City, which was known for its Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks and closed in March 2025, as well as PJ’s Coffee, which shut down its flagship location on Maple Street after 50 years due to disturbances caused by ongoing construction in the area.
Additionally, Tonti’s Cocktail Bar and Bistro in Algiers has announced its closure via Facebook after two years in business, with the chef moving on to a new opportunity in Austin. The Franklin restaurant known for its lively atmosphere closed in early March 2025, but plans were announced for a new restaurant named Evviva to open in April. The Lower Garden District’s Wild South restaurant halted operations in January 2025, with the chef planning to open a new, casual concept called Here Today Rotisserie in the same space.
Other recent closures included Muy Pwa, a bean-centric restaurant in Bywater, and No Name Cafe, both citing sustainability issues and local engagement challenges, respectively. The New Orleans location of the D.C. steak chain Medium Rare quietly closed after a year due to a mismatch with the residential area.
The series of restaurant closures highlights the significant challenges facing the local dining scene, particularly in the wake of shifting dining habits following the pandemic. Restaurant owners have reported decreased customer numbers, making it increasingly difficult to sustain profitability amidst rising operational costs and external factors, such as ongoing construction barriers.
According to the Louisiana Restaurant Association, independent restaurants are facing unprecedented challenges in recent years. Escalating product and operational costs have significantly affected profitability, prompting the closure of once-popular establishments. The impacts of these challenges are especially evident in a city known for its vibrant culinary scene, as New Orleans navigates through these trying times in the restaurant industry.
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Additional Resources
- NOLA: Restaurant Closures June 2025
- WDSU: Two Popular New Orleans Restaurants Set to Close
- Men’s Journal: Beloved New Orleans Restaurant Closing in May
- Eater: Restaurant Closings New Orleans March 2025
- Vox: Image Related to Closures
- Google Search: New Orleans restaurant closures
