After 26 Years In Harlem, Amy Ruth’s Has Opened Downtown

Chicken and waffle specialist Amy Ruth’s, which has been located on West 116^th Street in Harlem since 1998 not too far from the campus of Columbia University, opened downtown on November 12 on West 14^th Street between 5^th and 6^th avenues. It straddles Chelsea and the West Village.

Co-owner David Mekles, who owns and runs it 50/50 with his brother Mitchell, says the time was ripe for an “affordable, high-quality proven QSR (quick service restaurant) that makes everything from scratch.” Consumers are looking for “great value and we’re known for our large portions,” he says. The enterprise is being self-financed by the two brothers and their families without loans.

Why open on 14^th Street? Mekles says “it’s one of the busiest hubs in New York City. It’s also far enough away from Amy Ruth’s Harlem so it shouldn’t be competition for them,” so no sales will be cannibalized.

A soul food restaurant in Harlem near Columbia University is looking to duplicate its success downtown, but still located near several universities.

Chicken and waffles is the signature dish served either via a white meat bone in breast or a quarter leg. Candid Mekles acknowledges that at first glance chicken and waffles form “an odd combination, but once you combine them, and the chicken and waffle are as good as ours, it tastes good.”

Other specialties on the menu include: fried chicken wings, honey-dipped fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, smothered turkey wings, and pork spare ribs. And for those whose rising cholesterol levels discourage dining on fried foods, baked chicken and a pulled-baked chicken salad serve as healthier alternatives.

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The Amy Ruth’s Downtown location consists of 1,500 square feet and accommodates 18 guests. When the brothers were considering opening a second eatery, they met with franchise consultants who said that post-Covid, the trend was more people taking out from delivery services, picking up their food, working from home, and fewer dining out. By contrast, their Harlem eatery serves 150 guests with full waiter service.

Mekles expects that revenue downtown will stem 50/50 from take-out and delivery including Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub, and the rest from dining in. Uptown it’s 2/3 dining-in and only 1/3 takeout.

He also expects to attract local New Yorkers as well as many tourists, and a slew of college students from New York University and the New School, which are close by. “If you were to come here on a Sunday, you’d see every race, color and creed, dining at Amy Ruth’s,” Mekles points out.

Carl Redding opened the original Amy Ruth’s, in 1998 and his family owned it until around 2006 and then sold it to Lawrence Jordan. Mitchell Mekles bought the restaurant out of bankruptcy in 2011 and brought his brother in.

Sabrina Hollander, a dietician in private practice in McLean, Va, acknowledges that many people find chicken and waffles a “satisfying” dining option. She adds that chicken and turkey dishes are filled with protein but when they’re saturated with gravy and fried, “you’re introducing even more fat. They’re not good for your arteries or your heart.”

She says if served in small portions and ordered occasionally, it’s acceptable to “enjoy them from time to time.” But dining on these items on a regular basis “will absolutely cause you to gain weight.”

It’s been open about two weeks in what Mekles calls a “soft opening” to get the kinks out. But with a social media director on staff, they expect to pump up the volume.

But the second Amy Ruth’s is really a test run or prototype to see if franchising is the next step. “If the store does well, we plan to franchise immediately and not open a third store,” he explains.

Asked the keys to the success of Amy Ruth’s downtown, Mekles says: 1) The quality of food since if we get the food right, we have a good chance of success, 2) Customer service, 3) Offering value, since “We offer a better deal than most places because of our massive cuts of meat.”