Popular, family-owned Wally’s Chicken relocates to bigger space
Wally’s Chicken celebrated its soft opening March 11 at 30983 Five Mile Road in Livonia.
The old saying, “A job is not work if you love it” rings true for Canton’s Haddad family.
The Haddads — parents Wally and Nancy; and siblings Stephen and Samantha — are the heart and soul behind Wally’s Chicken, a comfort-food restaurant that recently moved from the rear portion of Maria’s Bakery in Canton to its own brick-and-mortar space located at 30983 Five Mile Road in Livonia.
Thanks to its scrumptious chicken sandwiches, mouth-watering fries and hard-to-resist sides, Wally’s Chicken built a large and loyal following at its Canton location; however, the opportunity to take over its own space inside the Livonia Plaza was something too good to turn down.
“Having our own space like this is really a dream come true,” said Stephen Haddad. “I’ve been cooking alongside my dad since I was 13 and I truly love it. There is nothing else I’d rather be doing.
“The restaurant industry can be stressful at times (he smiled), but if you do it right, like we do, there’s nothing like it.”
Hands-on family business
The Haddads — all four of them were busy preparing meals and keeping customers happy during Tuesday’s soft opening in Livonia — are all hands-on employees of the business.
And their love for what they’re doing — cooking fabulous food while creating an amazing vibe — is reflected by the genuine smiles they share with customers.
Wally Haddad’s commitment to making the restaurant successful is unparalleled.
“My dad is the hardest worker I’ve ever met,” said Stephen. “He’s taken maybe one day off since he opened Wally’s Chicken in Canton.While the entire menu at Wally’s is delicious, there’s one menu item that stands out among the rest.
“We’re known for our chicken sandwiches,” said Stephen. “Once you try one, you’ll be back.”
He’s not kidding.
Take it from me: It’s amazing food!
I personally devoured a Wally’s chicken sandwich — more than one on multiple visits, actually — and rarely have I tasted a chicken sandwich as perfect. Cooked to perfection with the ideal amount of seasoning, I’m already anticipating my next visit to Wally’s.
In addition to multiple chicken menu items — boneless chicken strips and boned-in chicken — the Haddads have added refreshing shakes to their menu.
Stephen Haddad went out of his way to thank all of Wally’s longtime, loyal customers who live in Canton.
“We thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” he said. “Also, we’re only a short drive from Canton, so please come check us out.”
Next chapter starts now
The Wally’s location in Canton closed Jan. 1, 2025, but Stephen knew the next chapter of Wally’s would be opening soon after.
“We knew we wanted to open up another location … we just weren’t sure where,” he said. “One day my dad and I were driving somewhere and he said, ‘We have a new location for our restaurant. When he told me where it was, I thought it was a perfect spot. There’s a lot of traffic in this area and we’re close to so many communities.
“We loved working in Canton, but we sold pizza and other stuff at that location. The truth is, we’re all about chicken –that’s our specialty — and we can focus all of our efforts on serving the food we love most now.”
You can dine in at Wally’s, place a takeout order or have your food delivered.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
