Having been compelled to close its Canal Street location by the Hard Rock Hotel construction site collapse in 2019 and a block-long renovation project, the Ruby Slipper café is poised to unfurl a new flagship location in 2024 that spans 1001 and 1005 Canal St. The New Orleans-founded brunch chain recently opened a location in Metairie and the restaurant currently has more than 20 locations spanning several states across the South.
According to documents filed with the City of New Orleans, renovations to the planned restaurant have included a new raised floor, sprinkler system, fire-rated partitions, and ADA-compliant bathrooms. Mayfair Hotel is also in development at 1001 Canal Street, and it will likely operate alongside the Ruby Slipper.
Renovations to these two addresses have come as a larger redevelopment project has encompassed this entire block of Canal. The three-story building at 1001 Canal St. is arguably the most historic structure being renovated there. It was built in the 1880s and its original façade was brought back in the early 2000s. A former dance hall on the second floor features an ornate plaster frieze showing dancing women that dates back to the 1930s.