Louie’s Cafe, now in the hands of a longtime employee, sold for less than $1M

One of Baton Rouge’s most storied restaurants is under new ownership. Fred Simonson, a longtime employee and general manager of Louie’s Cafe, has purchased the 85-year-old diner with his wife, Molly River Simonson. The couple acquired the business from Jimmy Wetherford, who had owned it since 1978. The transaction was seller-financed, though the Simonsons “got