Louie’s Café—a beloved institution in the North Gates neighborhood near LSU—served its first customers at its new location earlier this afternoon. The first customer at the relocated restaurant came in for a cup of coffee to go, says owner Jimmy Wetherford, adding he’s thrilled with the new space, but worn out from the move.
“Pretty much everything is finished and went according to plan,” he says.
In March, Wetherford and his business partner, Frank Duvic, acquired the former Wendy’s restaurant at 3322 Lake Ave. and announced plans to relocate their popular diner from nearby 209 W. State St., where it had operated for 25 years.
Louie’s first day in its new space today was a soft opening, says Wetherford, who is planning a grand opening for December. In the meantime, the new tenants at 209 W. State St. will move in Saturday and begin renovating for the bar they plan to open in spring 2015. —Stephanie Riegel
