La Petite Grocery

In the late 1800s, John B. Willig built a Creole-style cottage on the corner of Magazine and Berlin (renamed General Pershing after World War I) Streets in the Jefferson City area of New Orleans. He leased the store to a young entrepreneur named Frank W. Mackie and together they opened the Central Tea, Coffee and Butter Depot. The tiny store was situated across the street from the Jefferson Market, a very busy center of trade due to its proximity to the bustling port of New Orleans.