Beignets are back in City Park after a brief hiatus.
Cafe du Monde started serving up fresh order of the fried dough and piping hot cups of cafe au lait on Tuesday morning from a food truck as work inside the park’s aging casino building began.
The lines were a welcome sight for Cafe du Monde co-owner Jay Roman, whose company finally got a 10-year lease for the space after a second round of bidding that followed a lawsuit filed by Morning Call, the prior tenant.
"We love the direction City Park is going in with all their new offerings: the Children's Museum coming on board, the dog park, with City Putt down the street, and just to be a part of it is really exciting for us."
The change in tenants came after Morning Call shut down on Jan. 20 and moved out a few days later. Morning Call, which opened in 1870, has yet to announce a new location.
As part of its lease agreement with City Park, Cafe du Monde must complete renovations to the casino building within 90 days. Roman said that work should wrap by May.
In the meantime, the food truck will serve up orders as the park and Cafeu du Monde get word out about the change.
“Cafe du Monde is an institution in New Orleans, as is City Park,” Roman said.