Willie Mae’s Scotch House, 2401 St. Ann St., the famous restaurant known for its fried chicken and classic New Orleans food, is expanding to Los Angeles. A limited menu is currently available for delivery in the golden state.
Willie Mae’s, originally just a bar, was founded in 1957 by Willie Mae Seaton; the now-famous restaurant wasn’t added to the business until the 70s. The institution thrived, and, in 2005, Seaton was honored with a James Beard Award for “America’s Classic Restaurant for the Southern Region.”
Just as the restaurant began gaining national recognition, Hurricane Katrina damaged its building and forced it to close for two years. However, when Willie Mae’s reopened in 2007, they were featured on many television shows, including Food Paradise and Bizarre Foods America. The restaurant has also been named “Best Fried Chicken” by the Food Network and the Travel Channel.
Today, Willie Mae’s is run by Seaton’s great-granddaughter, Kerry Seaton Stewart.
Willie Mae’s Los Angeles location will be in Venice at 324 Lincoln Blvd. It will eventually be a sit-down restaurant that will serve the same menu that customers have enjoyed at the New Orleans location.
“We will eventually have a full menu and some specials that will bring the full New Orleans experience to this location,” Seaton Stewart said. “We want it to be a cultural experience.”
When it came time to look at expanding, Seaton Stewart said that Los Angeles seemed like an obvious choice.
She explained, “People come from all over, but, over the past 17 years, a surprising number come from California. I would always say that maybe one day I would open a location out there but it took about a decade because I love being in New Orleans.”
Seaton Stewart is opening the Los Angeles location with the help of partners Mike Stewart, Lowell Sharron, and Jerry Greenberg. Currently, Willie Mae’s Los Angeles is only available with a limited menu and through delivery via Postmates and Uber Eats. Seaton Stewart plans for the sit-down location of Willie Mae’s to be open in a month or two.
“It’s ready to go, we just have to train staff,” she said. “We have all of our licenses and permits and the restaurant is ready. We opened up the delivery option first because we were ready to go.”
Seaton Stewart looks forward to Los Angeles customers experiencing Willie Mae’s and she’s excited to be bringing a piece of New Orleans to the west coast.
She said, “I’m focused on making sure that people here get the full Willie Mae’s experience. We’re going from La. to L.A. and we want everyone to have a taste.”
