CBD Restaurant and Jazz Club Little Gem Saloon Closes After Six Years

Beloved CBD restaurant and jazz club Little Gem Saloon hosted its last act Saturday night, ending a six-year run as one of New Orleans’s live music venues offering patrons a top-notch meal with their show.

A statement sent to Eater by owner Maria Bazan says that “our family is proud to have pioneered the rebirth of S. Rampart and to have resurrected the Little Gem Saloon. We are honored to have been able to showcase local and world-renowned artists while serving thousands of happy customers these past six and a half years.”

“After being approached by a group who appreciates historical preservation as much as we do, the partners have decided to sell the asset and believe our vision of maintaining the music and history alive will continue. We look forward to what’s to come for the S Rampart Street Corridor.”

Tipsters alerted Eater New Orleans that employees were told that the building had been sold to the restaurant group that owns neighboring CBD restaurants Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar and Copper Vine after service Saturday night. Those establishments, along with Fulton Alley and the recently-opened Vintage Rock Club, are owned by Brechtel Hospitality. Owner Kyle Brechtel has not returned Eater’s requests for confirmation as of this writing. UPDATE: July 23, 2019: Brechtel told Eater that “although we would like to be involved in the project, Brechtel Hospitality is not the buyer of Little Gem.”

Nicolas Bazan, Charles Clark and Tim Clark opened Little Gem Saloon in 2013 after an intensive restoration of the long-vacant building that’s rumored to be one of the birthplaces of jazz. The club steadily gained a reputation for its classic Creole offerings and renowned local and national jazz acts, becoming a regular stop for local favorite Kermit Ruffins. Ruffins played a last show there Saturday night, according to Little Gem’s Facebook page.

Eater has asked Bazan and Brechtel for further information on the sale and plans for the building’s future and will update this post if we hear back.

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