05-05-2025
Why this Mexican restaurant is closing for Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is the busiest day of the year for Felipe's, but owner Pike Howard says he's decided to close up early to avoid the crowds.
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.
