New Orleans’s Mid City Pizza Has Served Its Last Slice | Eater New Orleans

"After nearly ten years on Bank Street, the owners closed its doors on Saturday, December 10, saying, “We tried as best as we could to uphold and honor Rand’s legacy in this shop, and we hope you know how important this community was to him and has been to us.” Rand Owens founded the shop in 2013 when he took over a Banks Street parlor formerly known as Lazaro’s and a year later moved across the street into the space that previously held Crescent Pie & Sausage; there Mid City Pizza grew into a laid-back, cozy destination for thin-crust pizza known for its colorful artwork and old-school arcade games NBA Jam and Simpsons Arcade. Owens—often called the “Mayor of Mid City” and the “King of Banks Street”—expanded with a second location and bought Banks Street Bar in 2018; following his death in February 2020 the restaurants were operated by a small group of his friends and family, though some commenters on Reddit felt the restaurant’s quality had declined in recent years." - Clair Lorell