Scoop: Chili Willi's opens in Lake Norman
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Ron Smith (L) and Rob Duckworth (R) in front of the original Chili Willi's sign, which Duckworth had refurbished. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios
Chili Willi's opens Friday in the former Waterman space in Lake Norman.
Why it matters: The restaurant is a revival of a West Virginia favorite, which operated for nearly three decades before closing in 2011. Its new iteration has become a passion project for local restaurateur Rob Duckworth (of Duckworth's and Link & Pin), who took his wife there on their first date and remembers making early-career business deals there.
Context: Duckworth and Chili Willi's former chef-owner, Ron Smith, have been discussing reopening the restaurant in some capacity for over a decade. Last year, they penned the deal to bring it to Charlotte.
- "I was there two or three days a week," Duckworth recalls, adding that the team worked hard to recreate the original recipes. "I pretty much tried everything on the menu back then ... I think we've nailed it."
The vibe: The new restaurant keeps many nods to the original Chili Willi's, including similar color schemes and design elements, down to the plates and the original sign.
- The restaurant seats 106 indoors. A patio with room for roughly 110 more guests is expected to open later this month.
Dig in: Smith has spent more than a year working with Duckworth's corporate chef, James Dibella, to rebuild the menu and train staff. "If you do something, you want to make sure it succeeds," Smith, who temporarily moved to Charlotte for staff training, tells Axios.
- The menu features several original Chili Willi's favorites, including pork carnitas tacos, pollo flautas and chicken fajitas.
- Other offerings include chimichangas, coffee-rubbed hanger steak, wood-grilled salmon, a double-rub pork chop and a wood-grilled Caesar salad.
- The cocktail program leans heavily into scratch-made margaritas with fresh lime juice, agave and tequila. The team is also considering reviving the "Bad Juan," a former Chili Willi's fan-favorite margarita made with reposado tequila, Grand Marnier and Cointreau.
Stop by: Find Chili Willi's at 9615 Bailey Road in Cornelius.
- Open daily at 11am. Closes at 10pm Sunday-Thursday and closes at 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
