Demolition crews clearing the former Six Flags site in New Orleans East say they may have encountered a live K&B yesterday evening, marking what experts are calling the first credible sighting of the regional chain since its reported extinction in the late 1990s.
According to witnesses, the K&B was spotted near the park’s old log flume area shortly after sunset, partially concealed by overgrowth and debris before slowly disappearing deeper into the abandoned property.
“It just stood there watching us for a few seconds,” said one crew member. “Nobody really knew what to say.”
The encounter has sparked renewed interest among local researchers who for years dismissed rumors that small pockets of K&Bs may still exist in isolated parts of southeast Louisiana.
K&B Drug Stores were believed to have disappeared entirely following their acquisition in 1997. While occasional alleged sightings have surfaced over the years, most were written off as abandoned storefronts, lingering signage, or older residents refusing to acknowledge the passage of time.
But investigators say this latest account appears different. Workers reported hearing what sounded like faint pharmacy announcements moments before the sighting.
Alleged cellphone image captured by demolition workers last night near the former Six Flags New Orleans site. Investigators say the blurry photograph is “inconclusive,” though some researchers believe the faint purple structure visible in the distance may represent the first credible K&B sighting in decades.
“I know what I saw,” said one worker, who requested anonymity due to potential ridicule. “My grandfather used to tell me stories about them. You don’t mistake that purple for anything.”
Experts are now reviewing grainy cellphone footage captured at the scene.
“For decades, people assumed they were gone,” said Tulane retail ecologist Dr. Raymond Becnel. “But abandoned commercial environments like this can sometimes support small surviving populations much longer than expected.”
Not everyone is convinced.
“There’s still no hard evidence,” said LSU retail historian Denise Folse. “Every few years somebody claims they spotted one, but nostalgia is a powerful thing. Especially after two daiquiris and a conversation about purple ice cream cups.”
Still, Folse admitted the latest report was “more compelling than most.” “If verified,” she said, “this would easily qualify as the most significant retail rediscovery in Louisiana history.”