Lauryn England has built an astounding hair and media empire that has made her name known around the nation, and now the TV star is bringing it back to her home city for the opening of Lady E’s Chick’n Cafe. The restaurant features chicken phillies, 17 wing sauces flavors, classic Southern sides, chicken and pancake combos, and other great food options to go alongside a beautiful and uplifting interior design. Lady E’s will be celebrating their Grand Opening this Saturday beginning at 11am at their 1905 Park Place location that is conveniently located in the heart of Birmingham near Linn Park, City Hall, and the renovated Greyhound Station building. The opening will be filmed for her show Just Lauryn, the road is being shut down, and the city is expected to have a great time at this celebration.
The restaurant will share a dining area with Birmingham favorite Cajun Bistro Downtown, which creates a unique community aspect and provides multiple dining options for families or friends who visit the location together–but Lady E’s has more than enough options to keep you satisfied. “I love feeding people. I love serving people. It does something good in my heart to cook for somebody else and they love the food,” Lauryn shares, “I guess for me, I’m more so ready to see the smiles on people’s faces from being hungry and having great food. And they for sure will get a lot of food.”
The Magic City BBQ Chick’n Philly and “Smack Ya Mami” Chik’n Sandwich are sure to be two of the biggest sellers. The hot lemon pepper wing sauce, cajun ranch fries, pasta salad, and peanut butter/jelly deep-fried sandwiches (yes you read that right!) are also predicted to be early favorites. All of these delicious menu items have been a part of Lauryn’s cooking for years. “Everything that’s on the menu is what Lady E loves to cook. Her friends love her cooking,” the entrepreneur shares, “Lady E’s Chick’n Cafe is not the average chicken restaurant ever seen before. The decor inside, the environment you’re going to get.”
The environment is both pristine and uplifting. A green wall featuring uplifting phrases like “Be You”, “Never Give Up”, “You Are Brave” and definitions for words like Grind, Confidence, and Hustle partners perfectly with eye-catching neon signs to create the ideal Birmingham snapshot. The restaurant even includes a VIP booth that comes with a hookah and champagne. Customers of Lady E’s can also order the legendary 24 Carat Gold Wings to take their picture with and join the 24 Carat Gold Club picture wall and be a part of the framed history of the restaurant.
The Gold Club adds a celebrity vibe that is fitting when you consider the history of the woman behind the restaurant. Lauryn has worked her way from a celebrity hairstylist to a celebrity herself, and is ready to bring this success back to the city with Lady E’s. “I (knew) that I was ready for something more. I’ve accomplished a lot of things from traveling doing hair, creating weaving techniques, doing celebrities' hair, and working on my music,” England shares, “So right now, I really am excited to be able to bring something back to the city–and something that means a lot to me. Opening up this restaurant is a big goal, so my foot is 100% on the petal because I want it to succeed and give back to my city in Birmingham.”
The restaurant is an even bigger deal for Lady E since she’s opening it up in collaboration with her number one supporter–her dad. He had a kidney transplant last year, and Lauryn is creating a new kidney foundation on his behalf. Some of the store’s proceeds will go to this important cause–giving Birminghamians another reason to visit this loving food destination. Lauryn has also made headlines for her history-making role as Alabama’s first black trans woman to own a restaurant–but she wants her space to be primarily known as a place that welcomes all to enjoy fantastic food and good vibes.
“I want everybody to feel welcome. Yes I’m a trans woman, but when you come in here I don’t even want you to think about that because I want you to know that the food is great. The environment is great,” she shares, “Everyone is welcome. Everyone should feel loved and motivated and inspired when they come in the cafe.” We can tell you with how good the food Lauryn makes and how nice the family is–that goal will be accomplished easily. Lauryn began her entrepreneurial career at the age of 15, and while this is her first restaurant she’s always had her eyes on this dream. “I love chicken. I could eat chicken every single day, all day. One of my dreams has always been to open up a chicken restaurant.”
Lauryn has had an interesting 27 years full of constantly taking on new challenges, and she’s ready to share the new stage (happening right here in the Magic City) of her life with the world. “I opened up my first salon here in Birmingham in 2017. Moved to Atlanta in 2018/19. I just recently moved back last year to film my TV show, which is called ‘Just Lauryn’. It’s pretty much showing my life–you know me transitioning,” the TV star explains, “Now this season–Season 2–which we will be filming at the Grand Opening, will show my business life. How I got here. How I work in business. How I operate in my everyday life. Me working on my music and becoming a music superstar. Me being a legend in Birmingham. I want them to see me being a trans advocate and overall just a person-in-general advocate. A society advocate. Show people that you can do anything you put your mind to. It doesn’t matter who you like, what you are, your color, gender, or any of that. It’s about what do you do at the end and go. How did you start and how do you finish? Not giving up even what you want to give up. That’s my goal out of the whole restaurant. I’m not doing it for the money. I’m not doing it just because. It’s really coming from the heart.”
Lady E’s sees the growth happening in Birmingham, and wants their restaurant to be a destination cafe that brings people to the city from out-of-town. “Anything I can do to help the city of Birmingham,” the boss shares, “To bring more people to the city and just overall help the city out.” The city is full of businesses and customers ready to create a better place for us all, and Lauryn sees that as the key to our success, saying “If we just all support each other and stick together, then there’s no reason why we can’t be put onto the map.”
It’s easy to support great food made from great people, and we’re thankful Lady E’s Chick’n Cafe is adding this must-visit spot to our city’s food resume.
