“Man, this place was standing room only last night,” said Freddy Jones on Thursday. Jones, a lifelong Slidell resident who rode out the storm in his boat, visits the Pontchartrain Drive eatery several times a week.
According to general manager Chris Legrand, the restaurant closed Saturday night at its regular time and stayed that way through Tuesday.
 Bartender Aimee Wimer and general manager Chris Legrand talk with a customer at Southside Café Thursday. (Staff Photo by Anne Lautzenheiser) |
When they opened for lunch at 11 a.m., they were able to offer the full menu. Customers began pouring in, and it was almost non-stop until closing time at 10 p.m. that same evening.
“We probably could have stayed open all night,” said Legrand, who has worked with Southside owner Dan DeBlanc since the restaurant opened in 1991. “People were coming in straight from the interstate.”
Such was the case with many area restaurants that reopened almost as soon as Gustav passed. The Waffle House on Old Spanish Trail in Slidell was rumored to have lines out the door for several hours. McDonald’s, just down the street from Southside Café, was open in time for breakfast Wednesday but ran out of several items as the day wore on.
Other restaurants, such as Applebee’s, were open by Wednesday evening, but with only a few menu items to offer patrons.
And while some grocery stores were open, many did not have fully stocked shelves, and residents returning home. In addition, as Legrand pointed out, many residents were returning home but preparing a meal was not a priority.
“They’ve got to unpack, maybe clean up their yard or try to get repairs lined up,” he said. “They don’t want to fool with cooking right now.”
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