Willie Mae’s, an iconic New Orleans-based fried chicken and gumbo shop, is closing its last remaining Los Angeles location. A statement posted to the restaurant’s website says that it began “winding down” operations of its Venice, California outpost on February 16, 2025; the restaurant hasn’t provided an official last day yet and, as of February 24, is still accepting online orders. The statement goes on to attribute the closure to “significant challenges” associated with the recent Los Angeles wildfires, as well as the fire that burned down the New Orleans location in 2023.
Willie Mae’s previously had a ghost kitchen location in West LA that is now closed. The statement about its Venice restaurant closure suggests that this is not the end for the restaurant in California — instead, it is taking a “step back” to work on a more “sustainable model.” Eater LA has reached out to Willie Mae’s for further comment.
The first Willie Mae’s was opened by Willie Mae Seaton in 1957 in Louisiana and has become renowned for its gumbo, Southern fried chicken, butter beans, and more. The restaurant is now operated by Seaton’s great-granddaughter Kerry Seaton-Stewart, who introduced it to Los Angeles first in the form of a West LA ghost kitchen in 2022, before establishing a permanent flagship in Venice months later. The restaurant quickly attracted Los Angeles diners who came for its salty, crispy fried chicken; tender cornbread; and some of the city’s most reliable gumbo.
Its closure marks a significant loss for Southern dining options on the Westside of Los Angeles. Those in search of the cuisine can head toward options in the Inglewood and Westchester areas for Southern restaurants like Dulan’s Soul Food, A Family Affair Southern, and the Serving Spoon, or toward Mid-City for a gumbo fix at Stevie’s Creole Cafe.
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