Circle Food Store is a New Orleans institution. You can see it from the highway. It’s a neighborhood landmark. But soon, it may be added to the list of beloved places that ‘ain’t dere no more.’
Owner Dwayne Boudreaux Jr. told multiple news outlets in the area that flooding, debt and a lack of business may force him to close his doors.
According to Boudreaux, the store opened in 1938. He said his father started working with the store 31 years ago, and eventually became the owner. But in 2005, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the store was closed for several years.
Boudreaux says he took over in May 2017, and though the store came with a lot of debt, business was looking up. However, after power outages and flooding multiple times, he told WDSU he’s had to throw out hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise.
“I cannot sleep.” Boudreaux said. “I wake up at 2 in the morning. I come here, clean things up, get prepared for the next day. It’s only me, my fiance and my stepson.”
Now all of the merchandise in the store is discounted, and Boudreaux says he hopes to stay open as long as he can.
