The Central City Food Hub With a Mission is Closing

Roux Carre, an outdoor food court on O.C. Haley built by a nonprofit group with a mission of diversity and inclusivity, will close on December 21.

The food hub opened in 2015, created by the nonprofit Good Work Network that assists female and minority operated start-ups. The $1.2 million dollar open-air food court in Central City had five up and coming vendors at a time (who would pay below-market rent) and a range of affordable food choices. Intended to be an incubator of sorts, Roux Carre was originally planned as a food truck lot, but in an effort to further shift the emphasis onto local small businesses expanded to the outdoor co-op.

According to an announcement by Good Work Network executive director Hermione Malone, the incubator will close December 21, as it “failed to grow revenue to a level that would keep it financially stable.”

Among the most notable of Roux Carre’s rotating vendors was Chef Tunde Wey’s pop-up Saartj, that aimed to highlight racial wealth disparity by engaging customers on issues of race, class and justice. Saartj shared statistics with and collected data from customers, with the goal of “confronting exploitative systems operating heartily, if sometimes covertly.”

A final holiday market will be held Sunday, December 16 from noon to 3 p.m. and feature music by Strate Notes and food from current vendors Queen Trini Lisa and Local Menu NOLA. Malone says she will announce more details about the Good Work Network’s 2019 plans in the weeks to come.

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• Opening Alert: Roux Carre Opens in Central City [ENOLA]
• Central City Pop-Up Hub Roux Carre Opens November 27 [ENOLA]
• The New Orleans Pop-Up Confronting White Diners With Their Privilege [EATER]