An iconic piece of history, Willie Mae’s Scotch House, is taking steps to renovate and restore the building after the Treme neighborhood restaurant, famous for its fried chicken, was damaged by a fire on April 10.
Willie Mae’s flagship location sits at the corner of St. Ann and North Tonti streets and may look open for business at first glance, but extensive fire and smoke damage is evident along the back of the old building and across its roof. The New Orleans Fire Department reported that the fire occurred in the early hours of 3 a.m. It appears that the fire started in the back of the restaurant and spread to an electrical panel, then to the attic.
Kerry Seaton Stewart, the great-granddaughter of Willie Mae Seaton and owner of the restaurant, immediately started working on the task of restoring the family business. The building will be expanded, adding 2,896 square feet, according to permits. Leading the renovation is the New Orleans-based Mk Rred Design firm.
Opened in 1957, Willie Mae’s Scotch House operated as a bar with a salon and barbershop in the front of the building which was the family home. Willie Mae’s customers loved her food and their demands for her Southern cooking soon led to the opening of the restaurant. The influences of her Mississippi upbringing and Louisiana cuisine brought generations of customers to taste the homecooked meals. The success of the restaurant and bar has made Willie Mae’s Scotch House the city’s oldest Black-owned restaurant.
In 2014, the business opened a second location in Uptown to keep up with customer demand. Recently in 2022, it was announced that a Willie Mae’s location will be coming to Los Angeles.
