NEW ORLEANS — Central Grocery, the historic New Orleans market and deli renowned for its muffuletta sandwich, is set to reopen on Saturday, Dec. 14, after being closed for over three years due to Hurricane Ida.
The beloved French Quarter shop, located at 923 Decatur St., will resume its regular hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, marking the return of a cherished icon for locals and a popular tourist destination.
Co-owner Tommy Tusa confirms to WWL Louisiana that the shop will once again feature its famous muffuletta along with a variety of Italian food products and specialty items.
The reconstruction has been a rough road Tusa told WWL back in March as progress was slow moving forward.
"There's always delays, especially with a building that's over 200 years old," Tusa told WWL Louisiana during the rebuilding. "We had other challenges along the way that we had to address, and we wanted to get it right. At some point in time, I said to the contractor, let's not focus on a start date," he continued. "I want to get it right."
The road to reopening required a complete rebuild of the Decatur Street location. Hurricane Ida in 2021 caused extensive damage when part of the three-story townhouse above the shop collapsed, sending debris through the roof and leaving the market exposed to severe weather conditions. At one point, the structure was reduced to just a floor and three surrounding walls, highlighting the extent of the destruction.
Faced with the challenge of rebuilding from scratch, the Tusa family chose to honor the store’s legacy rather than modernize it. They painstakingly restored Central Grocery to its original charm, ensuring it remains the Italian deli and market that generations have loved.
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