Not just for breakfast: Here's a new restaurant where you can find chicken and waffles all day
Correction: Elsa's Chicken & Waffles is located at 3705 W. Jolly Road. That information was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.
LANSING — The 10 years Nicholas Travelbee spent working in management for national restaurant chains convinced him of two things — that he loved working in the industry, but not as a "middleman" for major corporations.
Eight months ago, Travelbee, who'd taken a year away from working as a manager for chains such as Burger King and KFC, moved from St. Louis, Michigan, to Lansing, but realized he still missed working in restaurants.
"So I decided to try to open my own," said Travelbee, 30.
His new eatery, Elsa's Chicken & Waffles, opened at the end of March in a 1,600-square-foot plaza at 3705 W. Jolly Road, near the corner of South Waverly Road.
"I felt like it was a good location for me to start out," Travelbee said.
Named after Travelbee's beloved rescue dog Elsa, a beagle that died in 2021, the restaurant serves up what its name promises.
Chicken and waffles are at the heart of the menu
Elsa's offers a mix of dishes Travelbee enjoys making in the kitchen.
"I just kind of started with the chicken and waffles idea and then built the menu around that," he said.
There are fried chicken tenders, tossed in a hot honey sauce or plain, served on waffles with butter and syrup for $8.99; breakfast sandwiches made with bagels and waffles, crispy chicken tenders or sausage, wraps; along with milkshakes, ice cream sundaes and floats.
The business offers seating for 20 people and a drive-thru window.
"It's a business model that I could see working, and food that I knew quite a bit about and felt comfortable getting started in," Travelbee said.
Elizabeth Snyder, 53, stopped by for the hot chicken and waffles.
"That drew me in," said Snyder, of Lansing. "Everything was fresh made, the serving size was perfect and the chicken was nicely seasoned."
She plans to go back soon and try more of the menu.
It's an eatery creating its own niche, Snyder said: "There are some more items I want to try."
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'People really enjoy the food'
It has taken time to grow a customer base, Travelbee said, but the Lansing area is discovering the business.
"The first couple weeks were super slow," he said, but customer traffic is improving. So far, the eatery's most popular menu items — chicken and waffles — have been true to its namesake.
"This last weekend was really good. We had some traction online and we were making some money finally so that was really nice," Travelbee said. "For the most part, I've gotten a lot of really positive feedback. People really enjoy the food."
Elsa's Chicken & Waffles is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Visit them online at www.elsaschickenandwaffles.com, on Facebook at "Elsa's Chicken and Waffles" and on Instagram at "elsaschickenandwaffles."
Contact Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @GrecoatLSJ .
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Elsa's Chicken & Waffles serves up breakfast creations in Lansing
