NEW ORLEANS– It has been almost a week of no “to-go” drinks in the French Quarter. Then, this week the City of New Orleans started moving forward with proposed plans to make the French Quarter more pedestrian-friendly.
WGNO’s Kenny Lopez checks in on “The Gazebo Cafe” on Decatur Street to see how all of this is affecting them.
The beat goes on at “The Gazebo Cafe,” but for Owner Katerina Sutton it is hard to find the groove.
“It’s bad, you know we come here everyday and just try to make the best of it,” she said.
She said the no “to-go” drinks rule needs to go!
“I think to-go drinks is better because people are with their own groups, and they won’t be crowding restaurants or dining room areas. It affects all businesses. No one wants to come to French Quarter because the main attraction is being able to walk around with drinks,” she said.
At “The Gazebo Cafe” they’ve had to cut employee’s hours, close one day a week, and even close three hours earlier everyday.
“Summer is typically slow, but it hasn’t been like this,” she said.
On top of all this stress, now there’s another worry for Sutton. The city is planning on moving forward with proposed plans to make the French Quarter more pedestrian-friendly.
“I have a feeling it won’t be beneficial to businesses in the French Quarter. Deliveries are made all day long and throughout the week. People live in the French Quarter. People work in the French Quarter. I don’t see it as something that is very practical. There already isn’t a reason for people to want to come down here, so if they have to park further away and walk here, there will be less people coming,” she said.
Working through all this uncertainty, all Katerina wants is to find the rhythm again.
“It is a day by day thing. Everyday is a new day, and we’re ready,” she said.
For more information about “The Gazebo Cafe,” click HERE.
To check out the proposed pedestrian-friendly plans for the French Quarter, click HERE.