To some, it’s a battle for the soul of Los Angeles.
Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘N Waffles, as iconic to Black Angelenos as the Hollywood sign, is facing a revolt from its loyal customer base amid controversy over an inflatable Donald Trump doll positioned outside the soul food restaurant’s Long Beach location.
In November, Epicurious Expeditions posted a video on Instagram showing the blow-up doll. The reaction was overwhelmingly negative.
“oh HELLLLLLZ NO RIP ROSCOES,” pronounced one Instagram user. “You gotta be kidding me!!! What happened to Roscoes??” asked another.
Roscoe’s connection to L.A.’s Black community is a strong one. It’s a staple with celebrities, rappers and politicians alike. HBO’s “Insecure” filmed several scenes there. For a while, former President Barack Obama had a dish on the menu named in his honor. Curiously, the Obama Special, three wings and a waffle is no longer available.
On Dec. 3, Epicurious Expeditions struck another blow to the venerable Southern California chain, uploading a 2022 report from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health revealing multiple health code violations.
The Instagram account proclaimed Roscoe’s had been “canceled by the internet.”
“Roscoe’s has been synonymous with Black LA culture,” the woman behind Epicurious Expeditions, who wished to remain anonymous, told Eater Los Angeles. “I grew up poor, and my mom would scrimp and save any time to take us to a restaurant that was a pillar of the Black community. For them to side with the man who supported the death penalty for the Central Park 5 and turn their back on us like this was really painful.”
It’s been a rough 10 years for Roscoe’s, which is due to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. In 2015, original owner Herb Hudson found himself dealing with $27 million in outstanding debt. Money was so tight that Snoop Dogg offered to acquire the chain.
That same year, a Black employee sued Roscoe’s for racial discrimination and was awarded $1.6 million. In 2022, rapper PnB Rock was shot and killed at the Inglewood location. In subsequent years, Roscoe closed two longtime restaurants in West L.A. and Pasadena.
But don’t cancel Roscoe’s just yet. Diane Vara, who identifies herself as a partner in Roscoe’s on her Instagram profile, chided Epicurious Expeditions when it posted a copy of the restaurant’s signature recipe.
“You can copy the recipe, but I guarantee the recipe won’t taste the same,” she wrote in a since-deleted post.
As for the Trump inflatable, Vara claimed it had no association with Roscoe’s but was intended for an event at the neighboring bar. Vara told Eater, “Look forward to seeing the story. There have been various conversations surfacing the restaurants, its ownership, values, and political ideology.”
“As the COO and Creative Director, it saddens me that all I see is further divide,” she said. “Roscoe’s has been serving the community for what will be 50 years next year.”
A source close to Long Beach’s Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles told Eater the inflatable was meant for an event at an adjacent bar called the now-closed Seabird Jazz Lounge. It’s now identified as Roscoe’s Jazz Lounge, which Vara said hosted an Election Night watch party reserved by two Republican groups.
“Ya’ll can stay canceling us,” Vara wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. “Business is up 20 percent.”
