Sunlight streams through cafe curtains. Daisies and memorabilia dot the shelves, while a time capsule of pictures and articles lines the back wall. Checkered tablecloths hold rolls of paper towels in large, empty black olive cans, ready for all the magic Fertitta’s dishes up.
If you’ve not been a part of the Fertitta’s experience, there is no time like the present to be welcomed into the family. If you visit before July 1, 2027, you can count yourself among its first century as Shreveport’s oldest family-owned restaurant continuously operated in the same location.
You cannot step over the threshold of this iconic restaurant at the corner of Sam R. Fertitta Drive and Fairfield Avenue without feeling the heartbeat of the business, because the business is all heart, along with incredibly fabulous Italian food.
Sicilian immigrant John Fulco and his wife, Mary, opened the family business as Crystal Grocery and Rosebud Cafe in 1927, passing it down to their daughter Florence and son-in-law Sam R. Fertitta in 1949. It was then renamed Fertitta’s Delicatessen and, in turn, passed down to their daughter, Agatha Fertitta McCall, who currently runs the business with help from her son, the Rev. Patrick Fertitta, and daughter Dr. Nina Fertitta.
Closing in on a century bears witness to many changes and faces, as well as countless memories and stories readily shared by each generation that climbed the 20 steps to the second floor they called home.
“It was different from anyone else,” Nina says. “Our friends had regular houses.”
Patrick agrees. “Friends asked if we could just go down and get a pizza.”
The answer was no, nor could they just go down and get a Coke.
“Papaw said we had to ask because it was merchandise,” Nina adds. “And you couldn’t just run downstairs in your pajamas.”
This unique lifestyle provided social and business skills that have served them throughout their lives.
“I was making sandwiches when I was 8 years old,” Patrick laughs.
Nina agrees. “This is where I learned to count change when I was 7 and how to talk with people.”
Both Nina and Patrick have fond memories and love for regular customers who became second grandparents to them over the years.
In 1949, while the deli was busy importing Italian favorites from New Orleans, the legendary Muffy, their signature sandwich, was born.
“My mother had gone to a funeral,” Agatha says, “and my father was making lunch. He took a loaf of muffaletta bread out of the freezer and made a sandwich. A gentleman came in and my father shared it with him. He told my dad, ‘You ought to start making these.’ The man went on to a Christmas party, and by Monday, people were here looking for that sandwich, and it just kept growing.”
Agatha and her husband moved around with the military, and when her mother had cancer and her father was considering closing the business, she begged him not to shut it down. Her husband was able to get stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, and the legacy continued.
“Daddy told me, ‘It has always been about family. You grew up here, you know it, and you will also be married to it. If you go on vacation or are sick, you need to close up because you need to be the one running the store.’”
Agatha and her son Patrick are always behind the counter, and when they need to close, they put up a sign and post on social media, and their community family waits for them to return.
Agatha is the first to say, “We have the most wonderful customers.”
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Fertitta’s is recognized not just for its age or architecture but for its role in preserving local culture.
“I think my grandfather would be extremely proud,” Agatha says, “that the building is here, that we are still living here and the success of things. He used to say, ‘This is my home, my love, the heart of the city.’”
Find food and family at Fertitta’s, 1124 Fairfield Ave. in Shreveport, Wednesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Call 318-424-5508.
This article was originally published in the June 2026 issue of Three18 Insider magazine.
