Owner of Duckworth's bringing a taste of West Virginia to Charlotte with Chili Willi's partnership
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Chili Willi's serves elevated Tex-Mex. Photo: Courtesy of Chili Willi's
Rob Duckworth — owner of the Duckworth's restaurants and Link & Pin — recently penned an agreement to bring one of his favorite restaurants to Charlotte: Chili Willi's, which operated for nearly three decades in West Virginia before closing in 2011.
Why it matters: The Tex-Mex cantina holds sentimental value for Duckworth, who took his wife there on their first date and remembers closing business deals there at the start of his career.
- "Even though it's been over a decade since I've had the food, I can just remember how it tasted," he tells Axios.
Driving the news: The Duckworth's team signed a lease at the former The Waterman space in Lake Norman, which closed earlier this year.
- The Duckworth's team is aiming to open Chili Wili's early next year, they confirmed to Axios.
Dig in: Rob Duckworth purchased the recipe rights and is partnering with Chili Willi's former owner and chef, Ron Smith, to bring the restaurant to Charlotte.
- Duckworth describes Chili Willi's as "elevated Tex Mex." Some of his favorite dishes include the pork carnitas tacos, the coffee-rubbed hanger steak and the grilled salmon over smoked grill.
- The menu, which is scratch-made in-house, will also have enchiladas, flautas, chimichangas and huevos rancheros.
Context: Chili Willi's opened in 1983 and became one of the most popular restaurants in Huntington, W. Va., beloved for its chili and authentic Tex-Mex, the Herald-Dispatch reported. It closed for good nearly 14 years ago.
Flashback: The local restaurateur moved to Charlotte from West Virginia about two decades ago.
- In 2004 he opened the first Duckworth's Grill and Taphouse in Mooresville. Since then, his portfolio of restaurants has expanded across the Charlotte metro area.
Between the lines: Earlier this year, Duckworth announced the closure of two of his restaurants — Link & Pin in South End and Duckworth's Ballantyne location.
- "It's been struggling to perform for quite a while since we made it more elevated and steakhouse-centric," Duckworth said about Link & Pin. "Markets change and you gotta keep the business healthy."
- Link & Pin in Huntersville and Arboretum will remain open, as will Duckworth's other locations in Uptown, South Park, Mooresville and Rea Farms.
- Duckworth worked with staff to place them at his other businesses, including The Comedy Club at Duckworth's.
Editor's note: This story was originally published in January 2015 and recently updated in March 2025 to reflect the restaurant's location.