The Old Absinthe House Bar-Mango Daiquiri

Jober't Salem was born in Kuwait in 1965. He moved to New Orleans in 1982, where he attended Tulane University majoring in Electrical Engineering and Physics. A consummate entrepreneur, he has channeled his raw ambition and hunger for success into owning and developing his businesses in the French Quarter. Jober’t entered the service industry as a bus boy and emerged as a business owner. His first mentor was Andrea Apuzzo, a James Beard Foundation member and chef at Andrea's, a distinguished Northern Italian Restaurant just outside of New Orleans. He dove into the service industry at Vieux Carre Restaurant at 241 Bourbon, ascending the ranks quickly from waiter, to assistant manager, to manager. Within 10 years he was an owner of the Vieux Carre Restaurant. As owner he changed the name of the restaurant to Rue Bourbon Restaurant, a title that would eventually denominate his group of bars and event spaces that pepper the French Quarter. Jober’t’s next move was to purchase Old Absinthe Bar, located at 400 Bourbon. He then opened four daiquiri shops on Bourbon Street, calling them Mango Mango Daiquiris. In 2002, Jober’t was able to buy the lease at 240 Bourbon Street, the original building of the Old Absinthe House, from Tony and Jeannette Moran. They had observed his hard work over the years while they operated their three establishments (Old Absinthe House, Tony Moran's Italian Restaurant, and Jean Lafitte Rendesvouz) in the Creole entresol at 240 Bourbon. They trusted that