After nearly fifty years serving up hot sausage po-boys to the likes of Beyonce and Jay-Z, Drake, and Homer Simpson, iconic New Orleans sandwich shop Gene’s Po-Boys is closing on Sunday, August 4.

Owner Eugene “Gene” Theriot, who took over the restaurant his father opened in 1968 eight years ago, placed the building up for sale in February. The $4.9 million listing included the two-level building at 2128 St. Claude Avenue, an empty lot on Elysian Fields, and the actual business of Gene’s Po-Boys. And while Theriot hoped a buyer would want to continue the po-boy business, he told the Advocate the building will be renovated into condominiums. Theriot’s father, who said he urged his son to close, added that it sold for significantly lower than the asking price.

After years of satisfying locals and late-night diners in relative obscurity, Gene’s made recent appearances in pop culture, as a backdrop in Drake’s “In My Feelings” video and in an instant-classic 2018 episode of The Simpsons. The 24-hour shop was perfectly positioned for post-Frenchmen Street and St. Claude Avenue bar hopping, it’s Pepto-Bismol pink paint job serving as an unofficial neighborhood landmark.

Gene’s St. Claude Avenue intersection has undergone significant changes in recent months, including the arrival of a Starbucks next to Robert’s grocery store and the impending closure of a longtime beauty supply store after owners said they found out rent would triple.

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