The over 100-year-old business, Parkway Bakery and Tavern, has completed the renovation of a new, full-service dining room at the original location on the corner of Toulouse Street and Hagan Avenue in New Orleans.
Originally opened in 1911, Parkway Bakery was owned and operated by Charles Goering, Sr., a German Bakery. When the Timothy family took over the location in 1922, they continued to operate it strictly as a bakery with their renowned recipes for bread, donuts and sweet rolls.
During the strike of the Electric Street Railway Employees, Division 194 in 1929, everything changed in the culinary lives of both restaurant owners and residents alike. The “poor boy” sandwich was created by Bennie and Clovis Martin. The poor boy sandwiches were handed out for free to the workers on the picket line during the strike. Parkway Bakery took up the same task and also began feeding workers for free.
Once the popularity of this sandwich took hold, Parkway Bakery began to sell the sandwiches to the workers of the American Can Company, building and establishing its business as a Po’ Boy shop in New Orleans, while continuing to operate as a bakery. They expanded their hours to accommodate the hours of the American Can Company from which they received a lot of business.
Over the year, the shop was run by the Timothy family, but they were not good stewards of the day-to-day maintenance of the building itself. After the shop struggled financially, it was sold to a local homeowner named Jay Nix. Nix basically bought the shop to keep the riff-raff from moving into the area in the form of a bar or night club. After holding the property for several years, Jay Nix decided to reopen the restaurant with 12 sandwich options, including his own unique recipe for the roast beef po’ boy. The gamble worked, and Parkway Bakery and Tavern was born, visited by approximately 1,000 visitors per day.
Jay’s Place has recently had its grand opening and features an air conditioned dining room with a full wait staff and bar. This area is located on the property of Parkway Bakery and Tavern, accessible through the back parking lot with fully installed handicap ramps. Jay says you can avoid the line of the main shop and enter in the back to get seated in the new dining room. With the incredible success of the cuisine offered by Parkway Bakery and Tavern, Jay’s Place is sure to be a success in serving additional guests at its New Orleans location.
