Sucre was known for imaginative macarons and chocolates.
Sucre, the confectionery company with an eye-pleasing collection of dessert boutiques, was considered one of New Orleans' post-Katrina success stories.
Founded in 2006, Sucre offered imaginative pastries, interesting gelato flavors and chocolates, and a unique King Cake with a shimmering glaze that was often featured on national television.
Its three stores, on Magazine Street in the Garden District, in the French Quarter and in the upscale Lakeview neighborhood, looked like French patisseries, decorated in a distinct pale green.
They were gathering places for anyone from any background who loved sweets.
So on Monday, the Crescent City was surprised to hear that Sucre had shut down. A notice on its website read:
"To Sucre fans and supporters,
"It is with deep sadness that we have to announce the closing of SUCRE as of Monday June 17, 2019. Throughout the years, we have appreciated each of you. Your smiles and patronage have been priceless. Thank you for your business and your support. Know that the Sucre’ Family holds you dear. Stay Sweet!
"Please Note: Sucre will work diligently to return payment for any order that has been placed on our website within the last 72 hours. These orders will not be processed and all funds will be returned to purchaser. We thank each of you once again."
Sucre's decision to close came nearly a year after the confectionery company was in the news for a sexual harassment scandal involving its original chef, Tariq Hanna.
Hanna resigned from Sucre in August. And in December, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that several female employees had made sexual harassment complaints about Hanna, who was one of the highest-profile figures in the city's food world.
The allegations brought to mind the 2017 sexual harassment scandal involving John Besh, another well-known New Orleans restaurant figure who has severed his ties with his company and his foundation.
Besh had not been seen much in New Orleans since then, until he joined other chefs last week to attend a memorial service for Leah Chase, New Orleans' beloved restaurant owner and civil rights advocate.
In Sucre's case, the allegations against Hanna came after the dessert company had built a national mail order business, boosted by its King Cake.
It supplied grocery stores such as Whole Foods, which stocked its candy bars in its check-out lanes, in addition to its local operations.
Its lineup featured French-style macarons, in seasonal flavors such as blackberry lemon, watermelon and lavender honey, as well as unique chocolate bars, such as dark chocolate with rose petals, and candy box chocolates with New Orleans-style flavors.
The pastry case included individual cheesecakes, salty caramel chocolate cupcakes and lavish cakes, often topped with macarons or its housemade chocolates.
Sucre held events, like one in June 2018 that featured champagne, chocolate and macron pairings and ones where youngsters could decorate cakes for their parents.
Sucre was also known for its gelato, which was served into the late hours, making its cafes a final stop for locals and visitors after dinner.
Shortly before his departure, Hanna was one of the chefs who took part in a lavish dinner at Antoine's to mark the 300th birthday of New Orleans, put on by the Times-Picayune's restaurant critic, Todd Price.
His dessert featured a cane syrup mousse, with caramelized bananas tucked inside, that was accompanied by a bittersweet chocolate rose that was gilded on one side, topped by one of Sucre's signature macarons.
One of Sucre's most ambitious ventures was Salon by Sucre, on Conti Street in the French Quarter. It originally featured craft cocktails and appetizers, in addition to Sucre's lineup of sweets.
Downstairs focused on sweets and coffee; upstairs was an elegant lounge with 12 seats on a balcony overlooking the quarter.
Joel Dondis, the restaurant entrepreneur who launched Sucre but has since divested his interest, described Salon in 2015 as a reflection of the next era of New Orleans. "The reconstruction, post-Katrina, is done," he says.
And now, so is Sucre's role in it.
