After 11 years of slinging tacos to the Central Business District crowd, Johnny Sánchez is set to have one last downtown hurrah. The longtime Poydras Street taqueria will close its CBD location after a final service on May 5, Cinco de Mayo, turning its goodbye into a Taco Tuesday sendoff.
The restaurant announced the move on its social channels, telling followers that managers had decided not to renew the Poydras Street lease and were "looking to reopen in a new location," according to WDSU. The message thanked past and present staff and guests and stressed that employees were "the heart and soul of everything we've built."
Johnny Sánchez first opened in New Orleans in 2014 as a collaboration between John Besh and Aarón Sánchez and quickly cemented its place as a downtown staple, The Daily Meal reported. Over the years, it built a steady lunchtime and evening crowd in the CBD.
Downtown dining pressures
The closure comes amid a broader shuffle of restaurant shutdowns and relocations that Axios highlighted in a June 2025 roundup of summertime closures. Seasonal slowdowns and rising operating costs have pushed some operators to close their doors, shorten their operating seasons or renegotiate terms, Axios found.
How to follow reopening plans
The restaurant's website still lists contact information and current hours for the Poydras Street location, and the team has asked followers on social media to keep an eye out for news on a future spot. For official updates, check the contact page: Johnny Sánchez Contact.
