Serving Since

New Orleans

Serving since

1862

164 years in New Orleans

Café du Monde French Market

French Quarter · Café

Go here for
Beignets · Café au lait
Why go
Beignets and chicory café au lait at the French Market coffee stand that has operated since 1862.
Local character
Visitor destination
Good to know
Expect crowds. Time Out says tourists flock to the green-and-white awning, though locals are equally fond of it.

The original coffee stand in the French Market, established in 1862. The Fernandez family has owned it since 1942.

Why it matters

The Café du Monde coffee stand was established in the New Orleans French Market in 1862. Hubert Fernandez bought it in May 1942, and the Fernandez family owns it today.

The menu is short: dark-roasted coffee and chicory, black or au lait, and beignets, plus milk and fresh orange juice. Iced coffee and soft drinks were added in 1988. The stand closes only on Christmas Day and when a hurricane passes too close to the city.

The story

  1. 1862Coffee stand established in the French Market1
  2. 1942Hubert Fernandez buys the coffee stand1
  3. 1988Iced coffee and soft drinks added to the menu1
  4. TodayStill serving New Orleans

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Details

Address
800 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70116
Neighborhood
French Quarter
Ownership
Family-owned
Status
Open · verified Sep 2026

OldScore

A secondary, editorial measure. The founding year above is the fact that matters most. How it works.

Age35/ 35
Continuity15/ 20
Local significance10/ 20
Local food culture15/ 15
Independence10/ 10
OldScore85/ 100

Local character: Visitor destination. Time Out says tourists flock to the green-and-white awning, though locals are equally fond of it. This is separate from OldScore: a place can be popular with visitors and still belong here.

More like this

Sources

  1. Café du Monde, History (official) Founding year, Ownership, History, What to order, Current status
  2. Café du Monde, Locations (official) Address, Current status
  3. Time Out New Orleans, 'Café du Monde' (Gerrish Lopez, Jul 25, 2025) Founding year, What to order