BATON ROUGE — The former home of Fleur de Lis Pizza, a Government Street staple since 1946, has been sold for $1.1 million and its new owners plan to reopen the business as a "new and improved Fleur de Lis Pizza." 

Records show that Big Horn River LLC bought the property on Government near the intersection of Jefferson Highway on May 21. Big Horn River representative Carl Batson said that by late fall, the building will be back serving pizza with the same decor and a remodeled layout featuring a balcony.

Batson said that the new Fleur de Lis will pay tribute to the pizza spot's origins as a speakeasy with the help of historical tax credits and a newly designed plan from architecture firm TIEK BYDAY. 

"The exterior will look just like it did in 1946," Batson said. "It'll be the same ole Fleur de Lis Pizza." 

Batson said that he wants to continue the legacy of the iconic pizza joint, whose legend has spread nationwide. He recalled a conversation with a former patron and LSU alumnus in California who fondly remembered Fleur de Lis' Roman pizza pie. 

The pizza restaurant, known for playing Dean Martin songs on its jukebox and remaining a cash-only business by its patrons, closed in July 2022.

At the time, ownership said the sudden closure happened because they were short-staffed. The former owners put the business up for sale and listed it for an asking price of $4.5 million, more than four times the price Big Horn River paid for it.