NEW ORLEANS– 13 years ago New Orleans was underwater. Businesses were forced to shut down because of Hurricane Katrina. The true New Orleans way is to come back and come back stronger.
Today on the Katrina anniversary, News with a Twist Reporter Kenny Lopez went to visit some of the very first businesses to reopen after the hurricane hit.
Doors open wide and open signs lit up are two things we didn’t see in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina because only a few spots were open for business.
Aidan Gill for Men barber shop Uptown was one of the first places to reopen.
“I do know that the store was heavily looted. It took about six weeks to reopen as soon as we could. Aidan Gill hung up a banner in the front of the store which said no surrender. That was typically his response. We’ve been here 20 years and high water didn’t move us,” Lyle Guidroz, General Manager of Aidan Gill said.
And not too far away on Magazine Street, Slim Goodies Diner was serving up good grub pretty much right after the storm.
“People needed food. We were pretty much here for the storm, through the storm and after the storm. We never stopped feeding people coming in and out. We were just serving people whatever we had. If they didn’t have any money they couldn’t always pay us next time. The National Guard kept bringing us water and we got the food from Sam’s Club,” Joshua Enderle, Manager of Slim Goodies Diner said.
Both businesses said it was important to reopen so quickly to show our city’s resilence and show that New Orleans would come back strong.
For more information about Aidan Gill for Men, click HERE.
For more information about Slim Goodies Diner, click HERE.
