Many New Orleans institutions show little evidence of time: countertops lined with Crystal hot sauce, glowing neon signs and laminated menus unchanged for decades.
But some of those staples have proven they are not immune to change, as more than five have closed their doors in the last year. Casamento’s Restaurant could be next, after third-generation owner C.J. Gerdes said he could permanently close the institution to retire. Known for its original sandwich built from buttered, thick-cut white bread and fried oysters, the restaurant has operated on Magazine Street since 1919.
The potential closure comes as local staples — from restaurants and bars to grocery stores and gift shops — have shuttered amid legal disputes, acquisitions and retiring owners, raising questions about what a city so tied to preservation will look like for future generations…