A brand based in Michigan is preparing to open its first location in the Charlotte market. DeVante Powell and Wilson Rogers plan to open Crazy Legs in a 2,300-square-foot space at 9325 JW Clay Blvd, Suite 222.
Powell told What Now Charlotte that they launched the brand, which focuses on offering no-grease food made with commercial air fryers to customers, in Flint, Mich., in 2019. They expanded to three locations in that area, but the pandemic took a toll on their budding business. They ended up having to shutter two locations in Michigan, leaving only the original spot open.
After the pandemic, they decided to pivot. They began to explore other markets in 2021 and decided Charlotte was the best fit for Crazy Legs.
“We came to Charlotte. We love the family atmosphere. We love how multiple cultures are here,” Powell said. “It’s like a big melting pot on the East Coast.”
The forthcoming location will feature the Crazy Legs no-grease menu, with popular bar foods made with air fryers rather than traditional fryers. Expect to see items like wings, sliders, pizza and loaded fries.
“It’s not going to be a healthy option, but it’s going to be a healthier option,” Powell said. “Our slogan that we like to use is it’s the clean way of eating dirty.”
The beverage program will feature multiple craft cocktails. Customers can expect to see fresh additions to the beverage menu frequently as the bartenders mix new drinks.
The spot will have a sports cafe theme, with TVs, sports memorabilia and even live podcasts. In addition to the podcasts, they plan to lean into other forms of technology, as well. Powell said that his son plans to livestream on Twitch for the restaurant so the community can follow along with their story. The livestream will highlight the Crazy Legs experience, as well as what it is like to operate a family-run restaurant.
“On the entrepreneur side, I’m really excited for young entrepreneurs to come in and just have a conversation to show them you could open up a restaurant and not have to go through hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Powell said.
Powell is looking forward to connecting with the Charlotte community through Crazy Legs, emphasizing that it will be both family- and community-oriented. The team is targeting an October opening.
“I’m definitely excited to see people’s faces when they taste our food. We’ve been running for six years up north and people still can’t believe it to this day, like [they’ll say], ‘I can’t believe your food tastes like that with no grease.’ So it’s going to be very interesting to see people eat some flavorful wings and loaded fries, and there’s no grease at all in it,” Powell said. “That’s my biggest thing to show people — we still eat the same foods. We just do it a different way.”
