Inside Southern Chicks Cafe & Daiquiris’ first Baton Rouge location, with jumbo tenders and drive-thru drinks

Southern Chicks Cafe & Daiquiris has made its way to Baton Rouge with its first franchise. 

Established in New Roads in 2016 by owner Angel Ewing, the homegrown restaurant has become known for its juicy fried chicken and strong daiquiris. The new Baton Rouge eatery opened at the beginning of the month at 7112 Florida Blvd. in the former Opie’s Restaurant and is the second location for the brand, which has plans for expansion.

Franchise owner Brandon Bakare, who previously worked as a pharmacist at Walmart, began the process of opening the new location in September 2024, but says he has known he wanted to get into the food business since the pandemic. 

Bakare had tasted the Southern Chicks chicken and saw the success fast food was having, and says an idea of what he wanted to do started to form.  

“I wanted to get into the fast food or food business somewhere, and not necessarily McDonald’s—somewhere I can stand behind the product,” Bakare says. 

Walking into the new Southern Chicks location, diners are hit with the mouthwatering smell of fried chicken and homemade biscuits. And the design of the space feels much like a homey, Southern kitchen.  

The decor of the restaurant is a trademark of Southern Chicks, designed by Ewing, with burlap sacks hanging from the walls, painted shutters and distressed wood accents. The restaurant also features a selection of coloring books and colored pencils for children.  

“At the New Roads location, they have that rustic look, rustic feel, old town feel. The owner loves that,” Bakare says, adding that he gave Ewing free rein to decorate the space. “I told her … ‘I want you to feel like it’s your store because we’re partners.’”

The expansive menu features various pieces of fried chicken with bone-in and jumbo tender options, as well as Southern classics like fried liver and onions, cracklings and red beans. If that isn’t your taste, the menu also includes salads, burgers and wraps. There are also desserts such as cheesecake, Oreo dirt cake and customer-favorite ooey gooey bars. 

“You can not go wrong with any piece of chicken, from a tender to a leg or a breast. Our breasts feel like thighs,” Bakare says. “You can bite right through them, and there will be grease coming out of your mouth.” 

Southern Chicks is also one of the only drive-thru daiquiri spots in north Baton Rouge. Find icy beverages like the Ruffled Feathers, a blend of a pina colada and white Russian with strawberry flavors, and the Messy Chick, made with chocolate, pina colada and banana.

Since opening, Bakare says he’s been focusing on consistency and customer service. He wants to make sure Southern Chicks is a spot people come back to.  

If a mistake is made, he and his team fix it, sometimes throwing in an extra piece of chicken or a side to ensure customers leave happy, Bakare says.  

“We’re going to treat you like you’re at home,” Bakare says. “I like to take care of people. I’d rather them leave us happy than leave us upset, no matter if it’s an extra 80 cents for a leg.”   

While the Baton Rouge location is only the second for Southern Chicks, Bakare says the brand is looking to expand to other locations and is even toying with the idea of a food truck.  

Southern Chicks is open Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; and Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Find more information at southernchickscafe.com.