WeDat’s rode success as a fried chicken and seafood food truck all the way to a multi-state expansion and high-profile connections in professional sports and music. But the COVID-19 pandemic changed all that, forcing the company to contract and retrench to its New Orleans roots.
Now, WeDat’s has switched on expansion mode, and the restaurant plans to open a location in the Riverwalk Outlets in October. Owner Greg Tillery recently told What Now New Orleans that the new location has sentimental value for him, as he gets back to growing his brand.
“I can remember coming in there as a kid, going to the Riverwalk to go shopping with my mom,” he said. “Now, 20-plus years later, I’m opening up a location inside of the Riverwalk. We’re very excited about this new location and it’s a blessing to be in the Riverwalk.”
In addition to offering the chicken, wings, and fried seafood that WeDat’s is known for, the Riverwalk location will have a few new offerings, including boudin balls, red beans and rice, gumbo, cheesecake, and pralines. There will also be a full bar and plenty of TVs for watching sports. All of this will be in the picturesque setting provided by a location that’s just above the Café Du Monde.
“We have 11 big windows with a view directly at the Mississippi River bridge, which is all lit up when it gets dark,” Tillery said. “It’s just an awesome location.”
As he flips his company to expansion mode, Tillery said he’s looking to do it a bit different this time. Rather than owning the new stores himself, he is launching a franchising plan that will allow him to step back and oversee the growth as an executive.
“This time, it’ll be more growth through franchises than anything,” he said. “It won’t be me going in to sign leases and investing my own capital, because I did that 10 times over before the pandemic. It was just exhausting and a lot for one person to do. Now we have a great leadership team, and we’re going to go the franchising route.”
He added that WeDat’s has always been about bringing folks together, and that means earning the support of his customers.
“I want everybody to know that I greatly appreciate people patronizing us and keeping us in business, going on ten years now,” Tillery said. “It’s just a blessing.”
