Since 1982, Chubbies Fried Chicken, 4850 General Meyer Ave., has been an Algiers institution. Now a new owner is taking the reins at the restaurant known for its tasty fried chicken, generous portions, and daily specials.
Ursula Newell-Davis was born and raised in Algiers and purchased Chubbies on August 29. She has a Master’s degree in social work from Southern University and moved back to Algiers after living in Jefferson Parish for a few years.
I attended elementary, middle, and high school here in Algiers, she said. It was time to come home.
Newell-Davis’s social work includes working with children, adolescents, and adults with social, emotional, and behavioral issues. Shes particularly interested in people like this because her son has autism. She sees her ownership of Chubbies as the next step in her mission of caring for young people in need.
I feel like people with special needs often dont get the services they need, she said. : 400;”>Newell-Daviss purchase of Chubbies is her opportunity to give back to the community that means so much to her. She grew up eating at Chubbies and knows how important the restaurant is to Algiers.
She explained, I was ready to move back to where I grew up and provide a service. I want to create a place where teenagers can work and learn social skills. Not only can they come to Chubbies to get a job, but I will teach and mold them.
Newell-Davis said that her goal is to teach her workers skills so they can go out into the world and continue to grow by going to college and getting hired at other jobs.
I want to inspire the minds of young people, she said. My favorite line is, I aspire to inspire those I come into contact with.
Gary Chubbie Mire and his wife, Julie, bought what used to be Sunrise Chicken in 1982 and relaunched it as Chubbie’s Chicken. The couple is now ready to retire, but Mire will spend the next six weeks at Chubbie’s training Newell-Davis, her husband, and her son on the ins and outs of the fast-food chicken business.
When we made the purchase, Gary told us that he would be available to us for as long as we owned Chubbies, Newell-Davis said with a smile. This restaurant is his baby. Gary is ready to enjoy his life without having to worry about being an owner, but he loves being here. He originally told us he would come in and help a few hours a week, but he comes in from open to close.
Newell-Davis said she’s grateful for Mire’s help and wants to make sure that she gets everything perfect about Chubbie’s experience. The purchase includes Chubbie’s name and the restaurants beloved recipes.
Newell-Davis said that nothing major about Chubbie’s will change except the hours. The restaurant is currently open daily from Tuesday through Thursday, 11:00 to 5:00 and Friday, 11:00 to 6:00. There are plans to expand those hours to the weekend.
We’re going to run the business how it’s always been run, she said. The quality will be the same and this will be the same place that Algiers has always enjoyed. I gave up my job in social work to be here every day and serve the community.
Besides the fried chicken that put Chubbies on the map, the restaurant also serves a selection of poboys and daily specials that include Roast Beef with mashed potatoes or fries (Tuesday), Spaghetti and Meatballs (Wednesday), Hamburger Steak (Thursday), and Shrimp Étouffée with fried catfish (Friday).
The drive-thru is currently open, or customers can call in their order and pick it up in the lobby. Newell-Davis said that she will open the lobby to dine-in customers when she hires more staff.
Newell-Davis is grateful to be able to give back to the neighborhood that she loves and looks forward to being a part of the next chapter of the Chubbies Fried Chicken story.
Im excited for this new opportunity, she said. The love that the community has given me has been so exciting. Algiers is a small community, and we support one another.
