Couple continue N'Orleans anniversary tradition despite its closure

Ever since Jerry and Judy Young were married Dec. 1, 1962, they celebrated their wedding anniversary by dining at the Royal N'Orleans.

While the Royal N'Orleans is no longer open, the Youngs still managed to spend some of Tuesday evening sipping a glass of champagne under the restaurant's awning.

"The best part of the experience was going that many years in a row," Jerry Young said. "We didn't choose to spend our anniversary by going overseas or traveling to the mountains here in the United States.

"My wife and I wanted to mark the occasion year after year by eating at the Royal N'Orleans," he said. "Even though it's sad that the place is closed, I didn't want that to break one of our most special traditions."

While the couple has 46 years of memories at the restaurant, a couple of years stand above the rest.

During the 1970s a group of duck hunters from Detroit was at a nearby table in the restaurant when they overheard the Youngs talking about their anniversary. A few moments later a waiter brought over a glass of champagne and told the Youngs their meal was taken care of, courtesy of the hunters.

"The next year we came back there at that same table and would you believe that the same group of hunters was there again?" Jerry Young said. "Like the year before they bought our meal again. Needless to say, the following year we requested that same table, but the hunters weren't there this time."

Young said the food, including his favorite Chateaubriand steak, was as memorable as the building itself.

When the Youngs celebrated their first anniversary inside the Royal N'Orleans it was called the Petit N'Orleans and was owned by Richard Barnhouse. Before then, the building had housed an opera house, a Masonic lodge and a Chinese laundry, among other things.

The restaurant was most recently owned by Derek S. Miller, who became sole owner in July 2008. Miller closed the restaurant June 30 when Cape Girardeau did not issue a new one-year local liquor license. The city council approved a conditional renewal of the liquor license, but that license was never issued because Miller failed to meet conditions set for renewal.

In October, Miller was charged with failing to file state sales tax returns for an 11-month period ending June 30 and failing to send the sales tax collected from customers to the state during a 14-month period ending June 30.

Commercial real estate broker Cynthia Austin said the restaurant and building at 300 Broadway remain for sale.

"There's been quite a bit of interest but nothing concrete to report at this point," Austin said. "We're always hopeful that something will come through with this beautiful building that means so much to so many people."

As for the Youngs, they likely will continue returning to the Royal N'Orleans, whether it has reopened or not.

"We still had a part of it, even if it was spending a few moments outside of the restaurant," Jerry Young said.

"Even if it doesn't reopen, we may go there next year," he said. "It's something in our lives that we'll always hold close to our hearts."

blackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628

Pertinent address:

300 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO