Cafe du Monde’s Hard-Fought City Park Location Opens

Cafe du Monde’s hard-fought restaurant in the City Park Casino Building officially opens today, ending a year-long saga between it and Morning Call, the park’s previous beignet supplier.

Cafe du Monde has been serving its beignets and coffee out of a food truck set up next to the building for the last six months, after a bidding war finally ended in Cafe du Monde’s victory and Morning Call vacated the space. The Casino Building underwent renovations during those months, which included rebuilding the studs and replacing the kitchen floor and plumbing, according to a press release from Cafe du Monde.

Cafe du Monde was initially awarded the City Park lease in June of 2018, but it was nullified after Morning Call filed suit against the Park. Bidding re-opened in September and once again, Cafe du Monde bid highest. Morning Call officially ceased operations in January, ending the location’s seven-year run.

The 150-year old Morning Call closed it’s only other remaining location in April 2018, just before bidding on the Casino Building initially opened. Owners vowed to return to the city and luckily, announced a few months ago that Morning Call would join Bud’s Broiler in a joint comeback at the corner of City Park Avenue and Canal Street, in a location currently next to the Mid City Bulldog.

After a ribbon-cutting event at 10:30 a.m., the new Cafe du Monde at 56 Dreyfous Drive will open at 6 a.m. daily, closing at midnight Sunday through Thursday and at 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

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• City Park Goes Back to Square One in Bidding War Over its Beignet Stand Lease [ENOLA]
• After 40 Years, Morning Call Shutters in Metairie [ENOLA]
• Beloved Burger Joint Bud’s Broiler Is Returning to City Park in New Location (Updated) [ENOLA]