It's been seven years since news first broke that a location of Roscoe's House of Chicken N Waffles would be opening in San Diego, but will it ever actually happen? We have an update.
In summer 2016, we broke the news that Roscoe's House of Chicken N Waffles would be opening its first San Diego location on National Avenue in Barrio Logan. Roscoe's expansion to San Diego was halted early in the permitting stages due to the company's filing of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2016, which came months after the company was ordered to pay $3.2 million to a former employee who won a wrongful termination and discrimination lawsuit against the chain's parent company.Then in 2019, we published an update detailing that the company was in the final approval stages to build its first San Diego restaurant in Barrio Logan at the corner of National Avenue and Sigsbee street, where plans included demolishing four existing buildings to construct a brand new, two-story restaurant. The project was subsequently confirmed by the City of San Diego Development Services Department but was then stalled another time due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Roscoe's finally broke ground on the construction of its restaurant in Barrio Logan. The first San Diego Roscoe's was scheduled to open in summer 2021, then delayed until fall 2021, then a representative stated the new scheduled opening was planned for summer 2022, then early 2023. Construction has since completely stalled and the concrete floors aren't even poured yet, so many have been speculating that Roscoe's would never open in San Diego's Barrio Logan.
Although the representative from Roscoe's predicted a late 2023 opening for the San Diego branch, based on the history of failed speculations, don't expect it to unveil this year. Once complete, the San Diego outpost will include a 6,000 square-foot restaurant on the base floor of a standalone building with a second-story, rooftop dining deck and its own parking. Like other branches, expect a menu of crave-worthy comfort food like fried chicken, waffles, grits, gravy and other Southern-inspired dishes.
Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles made classic southern soul food popular in Los Angeles starting in 1975. Founded by Herb Hudson, a Harlem, NYC native, Roscoe's has expanded to seven locations throughout Los Angeles and Southern California since its inception. Based on the success of the first San Diego outpost, more area branches may be on the way.
Roscoe's House Of Chicken 'N Waffles is expected to open at some point in 2024 at 1678 National Avenue in San Diego's Barrio Logan. For more information, visit roscoeschickenandwaffles.com.
