NEW ORLEANS — Santa's Quarters, a popular New Orleans French Quarter store will soon close its doors permanently. The owner tells WWL-TV that after four decades, many factors contributed to the closing.
"I'm at a point where I'm ready to retire, and the opportunity came along to do that for a transaction with the sale of the building," owner David Erath said.
The ornament shop on Decatur Street is filled with special New Orleans-themed Christmas objects.
"Like the Saint Louis Cathedral or replica of a horse and buggy that passed by outside. Tourists who also came here also buy ornaments in their travels," Erath said.
Erath took over the business from the previous owners after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 with a pledge to keep the shop open. And he kept that promise, keeping the store open for the last 16 years. However, as time progressed, Erath says that less people are walking the French Quarter.
"We're totally dependent on tourists. Over the years, fewer and fewer locals because fewer and fewer residents in the French Quarter," Erath said.
Erath's fondest memories are seeing people reminiscence when they enter the shop for a visit.
"Most gratifying thing is year after year, people coming in with their kids. We have adults in here saying they come with their grandparents," Erath said.
Erath is encouraging people if they would like a Santa's Quarters ornament to do so before Christmas before inventory runs out.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.