A roughly 70-year-old local business dodged a bullet this week after a city-parish contractor agreed to close a hole excavated in the middle of South Boulevard and to remove barriers surrounding it, restoring access to the area for customers, pedestrians and other thru traffic.
Randy Wesley, owner of Pastime Restaurant and Lounge at 252 South Blvd., says contractor JB James Construction filled the giant hole—a bore hole dug under the street—with 10 inches of gravel earlier today. Construction workers will cover the hole with asphalt then remove the barricades surrounding it. Cleanup of the intersection will extend into next week.
Wesley had turned to social media earlier this week to get help to get the hole closed. He says the giant hole, excavated as part of the city-parish’s ongoing sewer system improvements, caused confusion for drivers and led to declining sales for nearby businesses, ultimately threatening their livelihoods.
That’s a problem for a restaurant that does more business during the fourth quarter of the year than during the first three quarters combined, Wesley says.
Pastime’s business was off an estimated 40% since a construction crew opened the hole about a month ago, Wesley says.
He feared his fourth quarter sales would drop and his business would ultimately close if the hole remained opened and the barricades stayed up during his peak sales months, which span from mid-September to mid-November.
Other area businesses—The Brick Yard, George’s Place and The 13th Gate Haunted House—also were affected, he says.
Pastime lives by football season. The restaurant is a popular hangout spot for LSU fans during home games, Wesley says. It also receives carryover from the 13th Gate’s crowds during Halloween season.
Wesley was concerned those customers would grow frustrated trying to navigate the construction and would turn to restaurants and lounges elsewhere in the city.
“The potential for it to impact this year for football season was great,” Wesley says. “I have to have a full crew here. I can’t hire them and fire them after football season. If there wasn’t income made in this two peak months, there wouldn’t be enough cash flow to keep all of my staff on. (We were facing) potential bankruptcy and … potential closure of the business after 70 years.”
Wesleys says the hole will be reopened after football season, which he doesn’t mind.
—Alexandria Burris
