20 May 2026
Local resident Mark is on a mission to tell the story of the now defunct New Orleans Cafe, the beloved Crows Nest institution located at Fiveways until its closure in 2014. Mark, who grew up around the corner in Sinclair St, is currently compiling a complete history of the cafe for an essay competition run by the North Shore Historical Society.
Located at 6 Willoughby Road, on the corner across from the Crows Nest Hotel, the New Orleans Cafe began in September 1995 founded by Danny and Aline Cross. It quickly expanded, becoming a fully licensed restaurant remembered for its Southern-style comfort food, blues music, and festive atmosphere.
Mark recalls the venue’s distinctive appearance from his childhood. “It had this baroque style shopfront and vibe to it, just the colors, the maroon, the dark yellow, just the font,” he said. “It just blended in really well and it was old, but it was also just timeless in some sense as well”.
Mark is racing to meet the June 30 deadline for the essay competition and has exhausted many avenues, including seeking official files from the council, searching online reviews, checking YouTube clips, and viewing the venue’s old website on the Wayback Machine.
However, he says official records only paint a limited picture. “I don’t think the files I got from the council really, as much as that documentation is substantial volume, I just don’t think it’s enough to master an essay”.
The council files provided details on practical matters like outdoor seating and live music hours, but Mark is looking for the personal stories that defined the cafe. “I think I will get some anecdotes about people that actually frequently went there,” he explained. “I just think people that actually remember it more vividly at the time who have memories there”
Ultimately, Mark hopes his work will help bring a venue with a similar spirit back to the neighborhood. “I just think it’s important to raise awareness about what was there before so that people can demand that sort of icon again in the future as well”.
The key missing element in Mark’s research is locating the original founders, Danny and Aline Cross. Mark is hoping former patrons, employees, or locals might be able to put him in touch with them.
“They had very different foods on offer, unlike any other cafe or restaurant in the area. And they had live music on Friday and Saturday nights. It was very much like a staple of the area and it was quite iconic”
Since closing in 2014, the shop has struggled to maintain a long term tenant. After New Orleans, Frappe moved in, followed by True Food, Turka and most recently Spice Guru.
If you want to help Mark with anecdotes needed to complete the history of the celebrated institution or put him in contact with the Cross’s, please email the North Sydney Sun through james@northsydneysun.com.au.