Why this Mexican restaurant is closing for Cinco de Mayo
Why it matters: The decision, which he says he's made along with a handful of other Bienville Street businesses, is out of concern for public safety.
The big picture: Despite most numbers showing a marked decrease in violent crime across New Orleans, the French Quarter has had an exceptionally difficult start to the year.
It started with the Jan. 1 terror attack that killed 14 bystanders and injured dozens of others.
It also includes a shooting during French Quarter Fest just a couple of weeks ago that injured five people and which Howard says was the catalyst for his decision to close Monday.
What he's saying: "Instead of passing the baton to someone else to take care of it, I think we can solve this on our own," Howard tells Axios New Orleans.
"This is local, boots-on-the-ground collaboration, and for us, that's been a comforting thing. It's not a blame game."
Catch up quick: Heading into 2025, Howard felt like the city was moving ahead with good momentum.
"The Super Bowl and Taylor Swift ["The Eras Tour" concerts] were really good examples of our ability to execute as a city," he says. "Things were feeling good, and we were seeing that in our numbers as well. The most recent shooting at French Quarter Fest felt like a step backwards."
After that shooting, Howard says, he considered that there had also been a shooting outside Felipe's during the last Cinco de Mayo. He started seeing a link he couldn't ignore.
"When we get a significant crowd later in the day, a lot of times, the result is violence, fights or shooting," he says.
The solution felt obvious.
Zoom in: "There's the myopic financial hit. It's not ideal in terms of closing on what is always your busiest day of the year, but if you step out and start to take a longer-term approach, I think you say, 'Well, I wanna be in this spot where I am in business 15 years from now,'" he says.
"A lot of that hinges on team members and guests feeling safe."
What's next: Felipe's in the French Quarter will close at 6pm Monday. Other Bienville Street businesses, which Howard did not want to speak for, also plan to close early, he says.
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