Pieces of Tujague's bar were tossed in the trash, French Quarter resident says
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A vintage photo of the stand-up bar at Tujague's when it was at 823 Decatur St. Inset: What the interior looked like on Monday. Photos: Courtesy of Tujague's from "Tujague's Cookbook"; courtesy of P. Craven
Despite developer Mike Motwani's assurance that the historic bar that once sat inside Tujague's restaurant is safe, two sources tell Axios New Orleans they've seen evidence that at least part of it was tossed out.
Why it matters: Suggestions that Tujague's bar was destroyed during renovations to the restaurant's former building have lit up New Orleans social media as people shared their dismay over learning that a piece of French Quarter and cocktail history might be lost.
The big picture: "The cypress stand-up bar [in the former Tujague's building] was shipped to New Orleans from Paris in 1856," according to a St. Charles Avenue magazine story. "The mirror that adorns it was first used in a Paris bistro for 90 years before it made its way to Tujague's."
What they're saying: French Quarter resident Suzanne Gordon tells Axios New Orleans she has lived on the same block as the former Tujague's building for 14 years, and worked at the bar on and off for about a decade.
- She says that when she saw someone pulling wooden columns out of a dumpster in front of the building on Friday, she felt confident they were once part of its back bar.
- "I know I'm not mistaken," she tells Axios New Orleans. "Motwani is saying that they brought all that to storage and they're going to bring it back. That's bulls--t."
- Gordon says she also saw pieces of pink marble, similar to the kind that once clad the famous stand-up bar, in the dumpster.
Yes, but: Gordon says she did not see any pieces of the bar top in the dumpster.
- Motwani "might have saved that," she says.
Worth noting: Tujague's owner Mark Latter confirmed through a representative that a person who shares Gordon's name previously worked at the bar.
Zoom in: Another source showed photos to Axios New Orleans of what the source says shows the six columns, one visibly damaged, after they'd been removed from the dumpster. (Axios is not naming this person because they feared retaliation from Motwani.)
- Two other pictures show broken pieces of light pink marble, which the source says also came from the dumpster.
- The bar top is not visible in any of the photos the source provided.
The other side: Motwani told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune earlier this week that "everything is in storage," including the bar, back bar and the mirror it framed.
- Axios New Orleans' phone call on Tuesday to Motwani's family business, Magnolia Enterprises, was directed to email. Multiple emails Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday asking for comment and a look at the storage space were not returned.
- Motwani told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune that he does not yet have a new tenant lined up for the space but that "it will definitely be a restaurant."
Catch up quick: Tujague's is the second-oldest restaurant in the city.
- It was at 823 Decatur St. for more than 100 years but was forced to move after the building was sold to the Motwani family and lease renewal negotiations sputtered, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune reported.
- Tujague's opened at its current location, 429 Decatur St., in 2020.
Friction point: In a statement to Axios New Orleans on Wednesday, Latter said the bar was left behind at its previous location because it was part of the building.
- "We couldn't remove the entire bar and bring it with us. Still, we did manage to bring the foot rail, light fixtures and portrait of original co-owner Otis Guichet, all of which adorn our restaurant today to pay tribute to the rich history of Tujague's," he said.
- "I can only hope that the bar, a true relic, is somewhere safe and being restored by the landlord."