This downtown eatery is moving to Denham Springs

Cafe Mimi, a downtown breakfast and lunch spot with an emphasis on Vietnamese fare, is closing its doors at the end of the week—but it’s not gone for good.

While the restaurant opted not to renew its lease at 329 Florida St., its owners have plans to reopen in a “new and improved” Denham Springs location, according to a Facebook post from Cafe Mimi.

Co-owners Steven and Sally Banh are no strangers to Denham Springs. Before opening Cafe Mimi, the husband-and-wife duo owned B&B Mini Mart, a Denham Springs convenience store that offered breakfasts and plate lunches before being demolished after sustaining damage in the historic August 2016 flood. Together with another husband-and-wife duo, Dave and Julie Carlson, the Banhs opened Cafe Mimi the following year in the former home of Harrington’s Cafe.

A precise timeline for the move to Denham Springs has not been announced, nor has a new address. Representatives from Cafe Mimi were unable to be reached for comment before this afternoon’s publication deadline.

In February, the Louisiana Motor Transport Association Foundation purchased the building housing Cafe Mimi as part of its plans to relocate its offices and open a trucking museum.

This story originally appeared in a May 29 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.