The restaurant is located on Decatur Street, which is currently one of the many areas in the city undergoing infrastructure work
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/sbisa-cafe-new-orleans-060826-b9c56d20f6dd42d7be4d1f56dbbe377f.jpg "Historic Cafe Sbisa on Decatur Street in the French Quarter in New Orleans")
Credit: Alamy
NEED TO KNOW
- Café Sbisa, established in 1899, reopened in 2016 under chef Alfred Singleton and co-owner Craig Napoli
- The restaurant cited prolonged construction on Decatur Street as a major factor in its closure
- Singleton’s death in March and lack of foot traffic further impacted the historic New Orleans institution
Café Sbisa, one of the most beloved restaurants in New Orleans' French Quarter, has officially closed its doors.
After "careful consideration," Café Sbisa's owners made the "difficult decision" to close the restaurant, they said in an Instagram post on Sunday, June 7.
The restaurant is located on Decatur Street, which is currently one of the many areas in the city undergoing infrastructure work.
"While we explored every option to remain open, the ongoing construction ultimately made it impossible to continue," the post said. "We are grateful to our customers and staff for their support and loyalty throughout the years."
Credit: Cafe Sbisa
While the restaurant was established in 1899, chefs Alfred Singleton and Craig Napoli teamed up to open its latest iteration in 2016, according to Nola.com. Its latest version was co-owned by Singleton, who died in March, and Napoli, per the outlet.
"You get no foot traffic, there's no visual sight of the restaurant," Napoli said of the construction to Nola.com. "There are no tourists walking that part of Decatur Street. It's a dead zone."
Napoli had planned to keep the restaurant open after Singleton's death, but it was taking "nine months to repair a street and there was no end in sight," he told Nola.com.
"We, the Napoli and Singleton Families, fought to keep a historic New Orleans institution alive through grief, economic challenges, and nearly a year of construction disruption," the social media post said.
"While Café Sbisa may be closing its doors, the larger conversation is whether the city of New Orleans can afford to lose the very small businesses that makes it unique," the post continued.
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PEOPLE has reached out to the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans for comment.