More than two months after First & Last Stop was sold, touching off disputes between its new and former owners, the small bar in New Orleans’ 7th Ward has closed in recent days. But its legacy as a mainstay for second-lines and Mardi Gras Indians may endure.
Kermit Ruffins, the renowned New Orleans trumpeter who runs Kermit’s Treme Mother-in-Law Lounge, said Thursday he was offered a lease on the now-shuttered space — and he will likely accept.
Under his management, Ruffins said the property on the corner of Pauger and Marais streets would remain “an old school mom-and-pop bar,” while honoring its tradition as a longtime gathering spot for Mardi Gras Indians. He added that he plans to play live music there twice a week and intends to rename the bar…