NEW ORLEANS — Lifelong diners at Gene's Po-Boys had to bid farewell to their favorite sandwich shop. The iconic pink building on St. Claude Avenue served up its last dish Sunday night.
Gene Theriot was only 1-year-old when his family opened the po-boy and daiquiri shop back in 1968 at the corner of Elysian Fields and St. Claude avenues. For more than half a century, they served food to everyone in New Orleans.
During Gene's time, the Theriot family served the likes of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Drake and many more.
To add to the local history, a TV show called "Black Ink Crew" and music videos by artists like Drake and Swiss Rodmann were shot there, plus the store made a recent appearance on "The Simpson."
The family announced earlier this year that they had sold their property and were closing up shop.
The original daiquiri store, now vacant on Elysian Fields Avenue, sold in 2018 for $895,000. The other three parcels — the main corner building, the daiquiri store next door (both two stories with balconies) and the vacant lot for parking — were listed at just less than $5 million.
Gene's last shift came on Sunday night.
Lines of people were inside the restaurant throughout Sunday to try and get a final bite.
While the Theriots said they hope the new owners would still run a po-boy shop, that doesn't seem likely: Developers plan to turn the properties into condominiums.