The closings this month are especially wrenching, as some area Hispanic-owned restaurants are shuttering, at least temporarily, as ICE agents swarm New Orleans for “Operation Catahoula Crunch.” But through this lens, all restaurants are on high alert and affected. The co-owner of a locally owned downtown restaurant group said management is filling many front-of-house and back-of-house roles to keep the restaurants running, as staff stay home out of fear of coming to work. “We’re protecting our people at all costs,” said the restaurateur, who didn’t want to give his name and call attention to the staff.

Proprietor Jesus Martinez of the longtime Mid City Mexican cafe Taqueria Guerrero announced on social media that he’d “made the difficult decision to close for the unforeseeable future,” citing the “ongoing ICE raids” affecting the “safety, dignity and peace of mind of our staff and our community. Until we know it’s safe for everyone, our doors will remain closed.” The last service was on November 30. The restaurant opened in 2007, a hopeful sign of life at a time when much of New Orleans was still in ruins after flooding from the Katrina levee failures. It was one of a spate of openings in the months and years ahead, reflecting the city’s changing demographics as an uptick in Latinx residents helped drive its rebuilding.  

Viva Nicaragua 1 and Viva Nicaragua 2 also shut their doors as of December 1, “Due to ICE raids.” As other restaurants see a sharp decline in their regular customers employed in construction, hotels, and restaurants, the call for community support reverberates throughout the city. Just as locals rallied to support restaurants crippled by COVID, hurricanes, and the January 1 terrorism attack, there’s a call to dine out to support this vulnerable community. One initiative, started by New Orleans native Craig Kraemer, N’Awlins Hungry Gringos, urges diners to support locally owned Hispanic restaurants throughout the city, from hidden gems like Espiritu Mezcaleria in the CBD and El Pavo Real Uptown to the concentration of mom-and-pop cafes along Williams Boulevard in Kenner.

Noodle shop shutters after 11 years

Chef Doug Crowell closed Bao and Noodle in the Marigny after an 11-year run, with last service on November 24. A veteran of the Herbsaint kitchen, Crowell learned his way around a Chinese kitchen thanks to his Chinese father-in-law, a professional chef in New York. Crowell’s restaurant specialized in hand-pulled noodles, the star of dishes like dan dan noodles with pork and the cumin-braised lamb with biang biang noodles. “Eleven years ain’t too bad,” said the chef on social.

El Gato Negro hits pause in the French Quarter

Juan Contreras, owner of the popular El Gato Negro restaurant group, has temporarily closed his flagship French Quarter location. Between trying to keep the doors open while covering for staff afraid to come to work because of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s operation “Catahoula Crunch” and dealing with the massive construction project that has turned parts of the Quarter into a driving and walking hazard, Contreras is looking for a break. His locations in Gretna and Lakeview remain open.