Many New Orleans institutions show little evidence of time: countertops lined with Crystal hot sauce, glowing neon signs and laminated menus unchanged for decades.
But some of those staples have proven they are not immune to change, as more than five have closed their doors in the last year. Casamento’s Restaurant could be next, after third-generation owner C.J. Gerdes said he could permanently close the institution to retire. Known for its original sandwich built from buttered, thick-cut white bread and fried oysters, the restaurant has operated on Magazine Street since 1919.
The potential closure comes as local staples — from restaurants and bars to grocery stores and gift shops — have shuttered amid legal disputes, acquisitions and retiring owners, raising questions about what a city so tied to preservation will look like for future generations.
Here is a closer look at the institutions that have bid farewell since 2025.
Milan Lounge
In April 2025, regulars poured into Milan Lounge for drinks, darts, crawfish and smokes outside until midnight, when the neighborhood bar’s lease was set to end after nearly a century Uptown. Months later, the dive was reborn as a cocktail lounge called Soon Enough under its new tenant, John Michael Rowland, who also owns Pigeon and Whale and The Husky. There, house cocktails named after everything from Taylor Swift songs to biblical commandments are served beneath red string lights.
Palace Cafe
Last summer, Palace Cafe served its final meals after more than 30 years on Canal Street. Owned by Dickie Brennan & Co., the restaurant abruptly closed because of a legal dispute tied to its lease in the building that once housed the historic music store Werlein’s. Palace Cafe could reopen either in its original space or elsewhere in New Orleans, depending on the outcome of an appeal.
A streetcar passes the closed Palace Cafe by Dickie Brennan & Co. in the 600 block of Canal Street in New Orleans, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune)
Langenstein’s
With its first location opening in 1922, Langenstein’s was the city’s oldest grocery store, part of an era locals still reminisce about alongside beloved retailers like K&B Drug Stores, Schwegmann’s and McKenzie’s. That era came to an end last fall, when all three supermarkets and a liquor store were purchased by Robért Fresh Market.
Winn-Dixie
Though founded in Florida, Winn-Dixie became a neighborhood fixture in New Orleans, with more than a dozen locations across the metro area. But the chain’s Louisiana outposts gradually closed last year after its parent company decided in October to pull out of most locations outside Florida. Some stores will be converted into Aldi — a German supermarket chain — or Rouses, reflecting a broader shift in the local grocery market.
Adler’s
Once known as the Tiffany’s of the South, Adler’s — a family-owned jewelry and gift shop — catered to brides-to-be and Carnival krewe captains commissioning pins for their courts. But after 127 years of operation, third-generation owner Coleman E. Alder II announced that both locations in New Orleans and Metairie would close in 2026 as he prepares for retirement.
Saks Fifth Avenue
Months after news emerged that Adler’s would close its Canal Street store, Saks Fifth Avenue at Canal Place announced plans to shut down as its bankrupt parent company downsized. The luxury department store, long an anchor of the shopping center, had operated there for more than four decades before selling its final merchandise last month.
Check Point Charlie
At the edge of Faubourg Marigny, Check Point Charlie quickly etched itself into the city’s nightlife with a 24-hour concept that blended cheap music, alternative bands and a laundromat. The dive bar on Esplanade Avenue went dark in March, after the building was sold to a New York billionaire to make way for a boutique hotel.
Leni’s Cafe
In downtown New Orleans, Leni’s Cafe was where blue-collar workers sat elbow-to-elbow at the counter and ordered burgers, oyster po-boys and fried shrimp plates during lunch breaks. After nearly 50 years, the old-school diner made its final meals this month as the owners prepare to retire.
