Johnny White's, the Bar That Stayed Open Through Katrina, Will Now Close for Good

Shocking news out of the Quarter, as Nola Defender's Mary-Devon Dupuy reports that Johnny White's Sports Bar is closing. This is the 24-hour bar that remained open throughout Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath, becoming a sort of safe haven for emergency workers and earning a pretty serious claim to call itself "the bar that never closes." It has also earned a reputation for being one of the rare Bourbon Street destinations for locals, as well as a favorite bar for the service industry. (That whole 24 hour thing helps.) Now, after the owners of the building decided not to renew the lease, Johnny White's will close on June 30.

To sum: holy shit. There'll be a number of events from Wednesday to Saturday of that last week open, meaning plenty of time to go pay your respects. NoDef has more on the importance of the bar in the local landscape.

· Bourbon Street Dive Johnny White's to Close at End of June [NoDef]
· Johnny White's Sports Bar [Official Site]

[Photo: Red Clay Report]