A Mid-City donut shop and ice cream concept have closed, while some changes to their former home are on the way for a new business.
Blue Dot Donuts closed just before Labor Day weekend.
Blue Dot Donuts Mid-City location on Canal Street.
Owner Zach Menicucci thanked all “the Blue Dot family,” current and former employees, former owners and the community that supported it all. Menicucci shared that he is closing as he transitions into a new consulting career.
The first gig he accepted was to work with The Bayou Bagel Company as they prepared to open a shop in Uptown. People may be familiar with the bagel brand, now carried at Zuppardo’s, Dorignac’s and a few other retailers in the New Orleans area.
Donuts decorated with king cake colors from Blue Dot Donuts in Mid-City. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)
Blue Dot’s back porch neighbor, Laozi Ice Cream (pronounced like lousy), also announced its temporary closure while it looks for a new home. Sam Caruso has made his French-style ice cream for over three years and has built up a dedicated fan base.
He made it clear in a social media post that he plans to find a new home as soon as possible to keep serving up his creative ice cream concoctions.
Meanwhile, at Blue Dot’s former Canal Street home renovations are expected to begin for a new coffee shop and bakery to serve the Mid-City community, Menicucci confirmed. — Chelsea Shannon
Monkey Monkey coffee returns
Monkey Monkey Coffee and Tea originally opened on South Carrollton Avenue in Mid-City. (File photo by Sarah Baird)
Tori Carneyrodriguez couldn’t bring herself to step inside of a coffee shop after her very own in New Orleans closed. She couldn’t even take a sip of coffee.
Monkey Monkey sat in a corner building on Carrollton Avenue for nearly seven years, but a streak of hardships — the pandemic, Hurricane Ida, a change in the building’s ownership — forced 30-year-old Carneyrodriguez to close its bright yellow doors in 2022.
Now, Monkey Monkey Coffee and Tea is back in Mid-City, but this time in a different home. The shop’s original coffee and pastries can be found inside the Cause and the Cure at 2540 Banks St., daily from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.
What inspired the reopening?
Cause & the Cure is a restaurant and bar in a single shotgun house in Mid-City. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Carneyrodriguez has been working as a bartender since she closed Monkey Monkey. The thought of ever reopening again did not cross her mind until just a month ago.
Rob Carozza, the owner of the Cause and the Cure, which opened on Banks Street earlier this spring, made a post on Facebook and Reddit offering business opportunities to locals without the funds to start a project on their own. And since the Cause and the Cure opens later in the morning, Carozza wanted another business to use the kitchen space until then.
A long, narrow shotgun house is home to Cause & the Cure, a restaurant and bar in Mid-City. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Carozza, a New York native, also owns two bars, including Fétiche NOLA — yes, a fetish-themed cocktail bar — and the upscale High Grace NOLA, in the French Quarter. After opening three business in New Orleans, Carozza wanted to help others fulfill their business endeavors.
“We’re just trying to give back to the community, and offer more business opportunities for locals,” Carozza said.
Carneyrodriguez was one of many to respond to Carozza’s offer. A coffee-based concept was especially appealing to Carozza, considering his restaurant is surrounded by hospitals, homes and other restaurants.
Serving coffee would allow everyone from medical to service workers to get their caffeine fix before the start of the day.
Monkey Monkey returns
Monkey Monkey will serve its original drinks and pastries, but will begin with a smaller menu, Carneyrodriguez said. She will start by serving her homemade cinnamon rolls, biscotti, muffins and of course, coffee.
Eventually, Carneyrodriguez will reintroduce her beloved chocolate chip cookies, banana bread and seasonal king cake that, notably, has a baby monkey figurine instead of the traditional baby on top of it. Customers will be able to add Carneyrodriguez’s homemade syrups, including flavors like vanilla and brown sugar, to their coffee.
Carozza said the Cause and the Cure will also make breakfast tacos and sandwiches to pair with the pastry options.
Carneyrodriguez, who had just two weeks to prepare for the reopening, said she “can’t believe” that she was given an opportunity to start again.
“It’s like a dream come true, honestly,” she said.
This article was originally published by a www.nola.com . Read the Original article here. .