Some French Quarter bars closing early for Cinco de Mayo | Business News
Several bars and restaurants on a two-block stretch of Bienville Street in the French Quarter that has become a popular spot for large street gatherings — and the site of two high-profile shootings in the past year — will close early on Cinco de Mayo in hopes of preventing more violence.
Pike Howard, on what is typically one of their busiest nights of the year because of public safety concerns.
“For me, Cinco de Mayo is kind of like Mardi Gras 2.0,” said Howard. “But we are putting safety ahead of sales.”
Howard has been organizing the effort and said he has received commitments from at least five establishments that plan to join him. He declined to name them because he was not at liberty to speak on their behalf.
The Times-Picayune spoke to three business owners on the street who confirmed they will close early that night but did not want to be identified for fear of generating a backlash.
The businesses are all located between North Peters and Chartres streets, which was the site of a mass shooting after French Quarter Festival earlier this month. Police say Christopher Parker, 25, opened fire into a crowd on Decatur Street near Bienville, wounding five.
The 500 block of Bienville was also the site of a fatal shooting during a Cinco de Mayo celebration last year. Police say Reginald Batiste, 37, fatally shot a man near Ryan’s Pub. He was arrested moments later at a Bourbon Street strip club.
Howard said closing his restaurant early this year on Cinco de Mayo and publicizing the decision more than a week in advance is not meant to criticize the NOPD or cast a negative light on the French Quarter, where crime and quality-of-life issues have generally improved over the past year or so.
“But when you are a business, you get to a point where you have to do what you have to do in order to keep your team and your guests safe,” he said. “I look at this as playing offense.”
The NOPD declined to comment but said in a prepared statement that, “The Eighth District leadership team is in continued communication with the businesses in this area regarding their concerns for the Cinco de Mayo celebration. This includes the department’s continued work in providing public safety operations for all involved.”
‘What do you do?’
The move comes as the city overall has seen a decline in violence since 2022. Crime in New Orleans plummeted in 2024, with murders falling to one of the lowest levels since the 1970s with substantial declines in nearly every category.
The French Quarter hasn’t exactly mirrored that positive trend. Homicides and non-fatal shootings were up in the historic district in 2024.
So far this year, however, homicides are down over the same period a year ago and overall incidents of violent crime are down 45%, according to crime stats released earlier this week by the NOPD’s Eighth District, which includes the French Quarter and Central Business District.
The figures do not include the New Year’s Eve ramming attack on Bourbon Street that killed 15.
Longtime French Quarter resident and neighborhood activist Glade Bilby said the issue is not a lack of law enforcement or a public safety plan to deal with crowd control on busy nights and weekends. He blames the brazenness of perpetrators, who shoot into a crowd even while law enforcement officers look on.
“What do you do when a guy shows up with a clip and 22 rounds with police all over the place?” said Bilby, referring to the French Quarter Fest shooter. “The police are trying to be proactive but this guy didn’t give a damn.”
Similarly, the fatal shooting that occurred last year on Cinco de Mayo happened in close proximity to police.
“The police presence we have had in the past has been very significant and it does not seem to matter,” Howard said. “At this point, we have tried it all.”
On the radar
French Quarter Management District Board Chair Jane Cooper said public safety in the French Quarter has improved in recent months and that her organization is working with NOPD, Troop NOLA and others to not only keep the French Quarter safer but to plan for large crowds.
“The police came up with a plan for the French Quarter for Jazz Fest and for French Quarter Fest and we are looking for confirmation that they will help us prepare for any other events that bring mass crowds,” Cooper said.
“But Cinco de Mayo was not on our radar, honestly,” she said.
After meeting Wednesday with local businesses, the May 5 event is now on the radar of local law enforcement, Howard said.
He said he’s not sure what measures police plan to take to keep the area safe, but he hopes that after businesses close, they will continue to patrol the area and prevent crowds from blocking the streets and sidewalks.
“The idea is to not have this entire block taken over by a large group of people hanging around and blocking sidewalks like we have had,” he said. “When that happens, it seems to correlate with violence.”
He plans to be open during otherwise normal business hours that day and expects crowds to get lively as the afternoon wears on. Could a shooting occur then?
“Of course,” he said. “But we have to do what we can and when the sun goes down, things seem to change. We will have a good time during the day and wrap up early.”