WEBVTT - Café du Monde

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<v Speaker 1>And we returned to our American stories. In the heart

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<v Speaker 1>of New Orleans, Louisiana. By the way, I got married

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<v Speaker 1>in that beautiful city is a long standing tradition in

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<v Speaker 1>the form of a coffee shop. If you're familiar with

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<v Speaker 1>the New Orleans you know, of course we're talking about

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<v Speaker 1>Cafe Dumont. The original Cafe Dumont was established as a

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<v Speaker 1>coffee stand in eighteen sixty two and has since remained

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<v Speaker 1>open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week,

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<v Speaker 1>with the exception of Christmas Day or the occasional hurricane.

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<v Speaker 1>Here is Emily Ager with the story of this famous

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<v Speaker 1>coffee shop, and this one we're doing on location, so

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<v Speaker 1>you will have to be dealing with the sounds and

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<v Speaker 1>the feel of being in Cafe Dumont.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, a lot of people will pay some good

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<v Speaker 2>money to go to a jazz bronchpad. You can come

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<v Speaker 2>here and spend three seventy five and get just as

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<v Speaker 2>good of an experience in my opinion.

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<v Speaker 3>So I guess it's.

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<v Speaker 2>Kind of a complicated answer about when I started working here.

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<v Speaker 2>My mom's grandfather bought the business in nineteen forty two,

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<v Speaker 2>so partly I've been involved since I was born. Both

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<v Speaker 2>my parents work here and my brother and my husband

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<v Speaker 2>now so been around it my whole life. So what

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<v Speaker 2>we're sitting here in right now is formally called the

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<v Speaker 2>French Market. Before it was the French Market, it was

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<v Speaker 2>actually a meat market and a mile of it was

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<v Speaker 2>all open market. Obviously, it's very warm, so that couldn't

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<v Speaker 2>last for a while, and the meat market slowly turned

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<v Speaker 2>into closer to what it is at the end of

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<v Speaker 2>the French Market building, which is like little stands that

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<v Speaker 2>people would buy and vegetable, you know, produce meat, arts, crafts.

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<v Speaker 2>We have a lot of different cultures kind of welded

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<v Speaker 2>together here in New Orleans, so it's a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>different arts and crafts that people sell in the market.

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<v Speaker 2>And then they started to you know, turn into more

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<v Speaker 2>of like the formal retail stores in like the nineteen sixties.

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<v Speaker 2>So Kappey Deman was originally started in eighteen sixty two,

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<v Speaker 2>and we were one of the little coffee stamps. So

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<v Speaker 2>capit deman is French for coffee of the world, and

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<v Speaker 2>it was the coffee served in the eighteen hundreds and

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<v Speaker 2>we've served it since then. The people that built this building,

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<v Speaker 2>that's the Spanish and then the French came shortly after

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<v Speaker 2>this Manash.

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<v Speaker 3>Which was why we get those melds of.

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<v Speaker 2>Culture here and the French, specifically the Akkadians brought the

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<v Speaker 2>Benne over. You know, everybody always asked about our coffee

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<v Speaker 2>and chickory blend. That blend is due to the world work.

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<v Speaker 2>So coffee was really hard to ship over, especially the

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<v Speaker 2>French blend type coffee. And so they started blending chickory,

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<v Speaker 2>which comes from the root of an endox plant, and

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<v Speaker 2>they started blending the chickory to add in because it

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<v Speaker 2>has a similar coffee taste, but it's not coffee, so

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<v Speaker 2>it was kind of a substitute to give it that

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<v Speaker 2>coffee taste while kind of halfing the coffee. And now

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<v Speaker 2>it's a lot of people's preference mine included. People love

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<v Speaker 2>the coffee chickery taste. So we started with the coffee

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<v Speaker 2>and they would have bread served with the coffee. Coffee,

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<v Speaker 2>and New Orleans is an all day, everyday thing. We

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<v Speaker 2>start and end our day with coffee, and so it

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<v Speaker 2>just kind of turned into the breads and stuff turned

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<v Speaker 2>into the vegnet when the French brought it over, and

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<v Speaker 2>it's now I would say the vignet is the staple

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<v Speaker 2>of New Orleans. So all of our venues are handmade,

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<v Speaker 2>and as soon as they're made, they get fried, so

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<v Speaker 2>we never we never refrigerate or freeze.

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<v Speaker 3>Everything is made on the spot.

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<v Speaker 2>And of course it's the only food item that we sell,

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<v Speaker 2>so we're just constantly making it. That's all we do

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<v Speaker 2>all day long, is make begnets. So the begnet started,

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<v Speaker 2>I couldn't even give you an exact age. I want

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<v Speaker 2>to say it was the early nineteen hundreds and it

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<v Speaker 2>said that of coffee and begnets has just become the

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<v Speaker 2>smart thing to do in New Orleans.

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<v Speaker 3>And obviously it's a very simple food.

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<v Speaker 2>It's fried dough with powdered sugar on top, and I

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<v Speaker 2>think the environment brings a lot of what makes it great,

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<v Speaker 2>but also that we handmake it every day and it's

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<v Speaker 2>fresh and hot and comforting. This wasn't probably the best

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<v Speaker 2>place for business if you'd asked somebody back in the

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<v Speaker 2>eighteen hundreds before, when the river wasn't managed by engineers,

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<v Speaker 2>and it's you know, our core of engineers here in

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<v Speaker 2>New Orleans arise and fall of it was pretty steady.

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<v Speaker 2>So back in the eighteen hundreds when they built this building.

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<v Speaker 3>If you would have.

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<v Speaker 2>Told them that this is like the epicenter of tourism,

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<v Speaker 2>they would.

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<v Speaker 3>Have probably discourage that strong point.

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<v Speaker 2>But with Jackson Square in the cathedral obviously there, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>we have multiple things that are fun to see when

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<v Speaker 2>you come to New Orleans. I think this is probably

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<v Speaker 2>what we're best known for us is right right in

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<v Speaker 2>the heart of the French Quarter, right here where we are.

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<v Speaker 2>I feel like we just we give an atmosphere that's

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<v Speaker 2>nice to come to. We take care of our customers.

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<v Speaker 2>We truly, we truly like to see you know, people's

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<v Speaker 2>first experience with beignettes and coffee. Love to see people,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, get their first beignet. It's exciting for us.

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<v Speaker 2>So I think the magic isn't lost on us, and

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<v Speaker 2>so we're excited, and I think it gives an exciting

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<v Speaker 2>place to come to.

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<v Speaker 3>You know. Obviously, we've put a lot of hard work.

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<v Speaker 2>A lot of our family truly cares about the business

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<v Speaker 2>and all of our employees, so it's it's been a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of hard work. But also I think we're very

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<v Speaker 2>lucky and fortunate that you know, people enjoy coming here

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<v Speaker 2>and we're able to recover from them. You know, many

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<v Speaker 2>things that do happen in our city that make it hard.

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<v Speaker 2>We're we're look to a lot. When everybody closes after

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<v Speaker 2>a hurricane. You know, when when are we opening back up?

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<v Speaker 2>When is the city going to get started? And we

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<v Speaker 2>don't take that responsibility lightly.

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<v Speaker 3>It means a lot to us.

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<v Speaker 2>So I would love to say that, you know, we

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<v Speaker 2>did that solo, but that's definitely not true. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>it's those guys right there on the street playing music

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<v Speaker 2>and all these people in here bringing you know, they're different,

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<v Speaker 2>different parts of themselves. Hyping New Orleans just makes people

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<v Speaker 2>feel welcome. We have that culture here that kind of

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<v Speaker 2>welcomes everybody, and that has everything to do with the

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<v Speaker 2>city itself. We definitely can ad take the credit for that,

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<v Speaker 2>but we're happy to be a part of it. Because

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<v Speaker 2>we're only closed on Christmas Day, we become a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of people's holiday traditions. You know, people come every year

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<v Speaker 2>from our to girl and they bring that next group

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<v Speaker 2>of people that's ready to come to the city. Thanksgiving

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<v Speaker 2>is a huge day for us. People are in town.

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<v Speaker 2>They want to bring their family from all over the

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<v Speaker 2>world and have them come experience Beignet's, and that's so

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<v Speaker 2>cool to us, you know, we love seeing that. I

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<v Speaker 2>think just being here for so long has given us.

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<v Speaker 3>The opportunity to see that.

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<v Speaker 2>There was a woman who was here who got displaced

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<v Speaker 2>after Katrina and came back recently, and I was talking

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<v Speaker 2>to her while she was winning at line and she

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<v Speaker 2>was saying that, like, it didn't really feel like she

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<v Speaker 2>was back home because so much of her neighborhood has changed,

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<v Speaker 2>so much of her friends and family have moved in

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<v Speaker 2>other places, but next has been here forever, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>so she was like, it.

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<v Speaker 3>Was like, I'm back home.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm sitting having my coffee in my mug.

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<v Speaker 3>I played at Venetes.

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<v Speaker 2>Who's like, I feel at home, which is you know,

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<v Speaker 2>like that's such a gift to give somebody that's feeling

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<v Speaker 2>I'm being home again. That was definitely a full experience.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course, I love to see the toddlers kicking their

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<v Speaker 2>feet in the green chairs awaiting the bag of Beignet's,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, because it always results just eyebrows, hair clothes toes,

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<v Speaker 2>fingers covered and powdered sugar, and it's adorable, you know.

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<v Speaker 3>So I love that. But hearing those other stories you know,

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<v Speaker 3>it's touch.

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<v Speaker 2>So one fun fact about us is, not only does

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<v Speaker 2>our family have a lot of history and a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of a lot of I guess, hands in the pot,

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<v Speaker 2>you'd say here, but we also have a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>families that work alongside our family. We have families that

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<v Speaker 2>have two and three generations that work together both here

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<v Speaker 2>and at some of our branch locations. And they've been

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<v Speaker 2>with our family, you know, some of them over forty years.

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<v Speaker 2>So I think having that family atmosphere makes a huge difference.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I think it makes her a great place

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<v Speaker 2>to work.

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<v Speaker 3>At least I hope it does. Like I said, I

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<v Speaker 3>used to go to work with my dad and my

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<v Speaker 3>mom when I was a kid, and Mom I helped,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, the little duties. I know what he wants

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<v Speaker 3>to do.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, now my dad and I sit, our deaths

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<v Speaker 2>are right and cross with each other. My first cousin

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<v Speaker 2>sits ten feet from me, and I have you know,

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<v Speaker 2>six others that work alongside me.

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<v Speaker 3>It's it's special, you know, it's special to work with

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<v Speaker 3>family can sit from called, of course, but.

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<v Speaker 2>I think it's definitely a privilege to work so close

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<v Speaker 2>with her. You know, all all the people that love

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<v Speaker 2>you and along with people who've known my entire life

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<v Speaker 2>because I was here as a toddler.

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<v Speaker 3>We joked one of the ladies.

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<v Speaker 2>It's Kim has been here, I think over fifty years,

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<v Speaker 2>you know. So she saw me grow up, and now

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<v Speaker 2>she sees my son come in here, and she's grabbing

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<v Speaker 2>his cheeks, you know, and so excited. And she picked

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<v Speaker 2>him up and she was like, you're gonna be my

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<v Speaker 2>boss one day, you know, like.

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<v Speaker 3>Which is just so funny.

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<v Speaker 2>He's three years old, So so's funny, you know, to

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<v Speaker 2>have that kind of environment.

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<v Speaker 3>Work in that kind of environment.

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<v Speaker 2>But of course, yeah, we would love, we would love

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<v Speaker 2>for our family to be able to continue those wonderful professions.

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<v Speaker 3>Wherever it's been a fun way to grow up.

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<v Speaker 1>It must indeed have been a great way to grow up.

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<v Speaker 1>You've been listening to Emily Yeger. Her family's been running

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<v Speaker 1>an institution in New Orleans, a cultural institution, a culinary institution,

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<v Speaker 1>Cafe Dumont, the original, and it's right across the street

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<v Speaker 1>from Jackson Square and Write in the heart, right in

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<v Speaker 1>the heart of the French Quarter, in one of America's

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<v Speaker 1>great cities. And again, a special thanks to Emily Yeger

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<v Speaker 1>for sharing her family story, the family business, and a

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<v Speaker 1>terrific job on the production, editing and storytelling by our

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<v Speaker 1>own Madison Dericott the story of Cafe Dumont, Emily Yaeger

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<v Speaker 1>and her family story here on our American Stories