Surveillance video showed the car bursting through Olive Branch Cafe as customers and workers stood nearby.
NEW ORLEANS, LA — A car crashed into Olive Branch Cafe in Algiers on Wednesday, May 20, forcing the longtime restaurant to close after surveillance video showed the vehicle plowing through the front entrance near diners and employees.
The crash damaged the restaurant in the 5100 block of General De Gaulle Drive and left the business closed until further notice. Restaurant owner Russell Autry said no customers or employees were seriously hurt, though the driver, described as a young woman, was taken to a hospital for treatment. The cause of the crash remained unclear after the car was removed from the building.
The crash happened while people were still inside the restaurant. Video from outside the business showed a Nissan Altima leaving the roadway, crossing a garden area and smashing through the front of the restaurant. Inside, a table of customers was eating when the car came through and stopped only feet away. Autry said he knew right away something had struck the building because he could feel it shake. “It was really a blessing from God that no one was seriously injured,” Autry said.
Bricks, glass and debris were left scattered inside the dining area after the impact. The restaurant’s entrance was later boarded up, and caution tape surrounded part of the property. Autry said one of his managers was near the car’s path when it came through the front. The restaurant said in a social media post that no one was seriously injured. Police had not publicly released a detailed crash report, and the exact reason the driver left the road had not been confirmed.
Olive Branch Cafe has operated at the Algiers location for more than 20 years and is a familiar stop for people along General De Gaulle Drive. The crash added to concerns that Autry and workers said they have had about traffic near the restaurant. Autry said drivers often speed along that stretch and that several major accidents have happened nearby in recent months. The damage now leaves the business facing repairs before it can serve customers again at that site.
The car was pulled from the restaurant by a tow truck around 8 p.m. Wednesday, hours after the crash. The business remained closed as workers assessed the damage and prepared for repairs. No charges had been announced, and no reopening date had been set. The Marrero location of Olive Branch Cafe remained open while the Algiers restaurant stayed closed.
For employees, the closure also meant lost shifts, tips and pay while the building is repaired. Autry said the damage was serious but repairable, and he credited the outcome to luck because the car stopped before striking customers or workers. “It could have been a lot worse,” he said.
The Algiers restaurant remained boarded up after the crash, with debris still visible near the entrance. The next milestone will be the release of any official findings on the cause of the crash and a repair timeline from the restaurant.
Author note: Last updated May 23, 2026.