Tex Mex concept Chili Willi’s has its first location on the way. It is expected to open in a 4,100-square-foot space at 9615 Bailey Road in early 2026, according to the Charlotte Business Journal. The space formerly housed The Waterman, which closed earlier this year.
Rob Duckworth, the owner of Duckworth’s Grill and Taphouse, is working on reviving the Tex Mex concept founded in West Virginia in the 1980s, as previously reported by What Now Charlotte. It closed in West Virginia in 2011. Duckworth is working with the original Chili Willi’s founder Ron Smith on menu development and bringing the concept to Charlotte.
Duckworth, who is from West Virginia, has fond memories of Chili Willi’s and hopes to capture the same feeling in Charlotte.
“It was the place to go, and everyone knew everyone,” Duckworth told What Now Charlotte in a previous interview. “I personally would frequent Chili Willi’s two to three times a week, having business lunches during the day and dinners with friends and family at night. My (now wife) and I actually had our first date there.”
While the menu is still undergoing development, customers can expect protein-centric dishes as well as traditional Mexican offerings like enchiladas, burrotis and flautas.
The design is expected to include a revamped bar and a Tex-Mex color scheme consisting of reds, yellows and blues, according to the Business Journal.
The goal is to capture the essence of the Chili Willi’s that Duckworth remembers.
“It’s a brand that’s special to me,” Duckworth said in a previous interview. “We’re going to bring it back to what I remember it as, which is very bold, robust, rich flavors that are authentic Tex-Mex dishes.”
