In the mid-1910's, Bennie and Clovis Martin relocated from Raceland, Louisiana to New Orleans to work as streetcar conductors. After a few years in the field, the brothers opened
the Martin Brothers' Coffee Stand and Restaurant in the French Quarters. This would become the birthplace of what is now known as the "po-boy"
sandwich. After contractual negotiations throughout the nation became heate
d
in 1929 jeopardizing over 1,100 jobs and the standing of the carmen's
union, streetcar motormen and conductors decided to fight back -
leading to one of the most violent and devastating strikes in the history
of the nation. The Martin brothers sympathized deeply with the plight of the
strikers and decided to give back to the community that they had come
to know and love and thus, the po-boy sandwich was born. When one of
the downtrodden streetcar workers would walk into the Coffee Stand,
the men would call out "Here comes another poor boy" and would offer
the striker a free meal. They vowed to support each man "until hell
froze over" and provided each unemployed worker and their family with
40-inch sandwiches throughout the Great Depression. The History of the Po-boy
This not only turned the Martin brothers into local heroes, but also led to continued success and unexpected publicity for their business until they shut the doors in the late 1930s and turned their simple gift of generosity - the po-boy sandwich - into a world famous dish that is still enjoyed by the public today.
