DaBaby’s new No Knife Chicken & Waffles restaurant is already generating buzz in Charlotte — but it’s the prices that have people talking.
The rapper’s new spot in Charlotte, North Carolina, officially opened Sunday, drawing a heavy crowd and immediately putting its menu under the spotlight.
One of the biggest talking points is the price of a plain waffle.
No Knife charges $15 for a plain waffle, with no toppings and no chicken included.
And that is only the starting point.
The restaurant’s most expensive waffle is the $45 Soulfood Cornbread Waffle, which comes topped with collard greens, candied yams and mac & cheese.
Customers who want chicken with their waffles have to pay extra. Six wings cost an additional $10.
The prices quickly became a subject of debate online, with some people mocking the restaurant over what they consider expensive menu items.
Others, however, argued that the prices are not necessarily unusual for dining out in major cities.
The opening-day demand was also significant.
A reporter from The Charlotte Observer visited No Knife Chicken & Waffles on Sunday, arriving 30 minutes before the restaurant opened.
Even with that head start, the reporter reportedly waited about three hours before receiving his food.
And while the lengthy wait did not necessarily convince him that the prices were justified, he did give the waffle credit, describing it as delicious.
That leaves DaBaby’s new venture facing an early test: whether customers are willing to pay celebrity-restaurant prices for the experience and food.
For now, No Knife Chicken & Waffles has clearly succeeded at getting people’s attention.
Between the packed opening, lengthy waits and viral debate over the menu, DaBaby’s latest business venture has become one of Charlotte’s more talked-about new food spots — with diners already deciding whether the food is worth the hit to their wallets.
