Koz’s in Lakeview Will Serve Its Final Po-boy Next Week

The Lakeview outpost of Koz’s po-boys will serve its final po-boy on Friday, January 19 so that the owner Max Gruenig, who just turned 30, can go back to school and explore another career, reports Ian McNulty. Take a deep breath though — the original Koz’s in Harahan, run by Max Gruenig’s father, will remain open.

Gruenig opened the Lakeview Koz’s in 2009 as an extension of his father’s shop in Harahan (for whom the restaurant is named). The family also opened a Metairie outpost in 2015, but it lasted less than a year.

The family’s involvement with po-boys goes back to 1965. Gary “Koz” Gruenig started working at Po-Boy Bakery in 1965 when he was 12 years old. He continued to work there for decades, even raising his family in an apartment above the shop. Po-Boy Bakery never re-opened after Katrina, so Koz’s was born just a few months after the storm, according to the report. At Koz’s, they revived many of the popular po-boys from Po-Boy Bakery, like the barbecued ham.

In a Facebook post about the closing, Gruenig thanked the neighborhood for all of the memories and quoted Dr. Seuss. “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.”

No word yet on what will move into the space.

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Po’ eatery: Lakeview Po-boy Shop Koz’s Will Close; Original Harahan Location Carries On [ADVOCATE]