New restaurants are popping up all over Waco, but a little red shack on Franklin has been going strong for decades.
The Krispy Chicken serves dozens of people during its lunch rush. An affordable, hearty meal is what pulls them in. Mama Delores is the reason they keep coming back for more
Once you hit your seventies, you're either dreaming of retirement or right in the middle of it. Delores Davis refuses to get off her feet.
"They'll be looking around like 'where's Mom? where's she at," Davis said. "That keeps me going!"
She started running her business in 1978 at 36-years-old.
"We just kind of decided to do it, not knowing how to do it," Davis said. "I had three teenagers and an 8-year-old. It wasn't easy to do, but they helped so much."
Fast forward 40 years and she's still charming everyone who walks up to the window.
Candy Cook is a regular customer. She stops by for lunch three times a week.
"I just love their chicken," Cook said. "They're friendly, they take care of us and they're considerate."
Davis' kids have helped her run the restaurant since the beginning. Her recipe for success hasn't changed much either.
"A good product, good help and a lot of hard work," Davis said.
Davis treats her customers like family. Many of them have been coming to her for decades.
"I think it's great," Cook said. "They've been here a long time and I hope there are more years to come."
"It just good to know they've stayed with us for so long," Davis said. "We must be doing something right!"
While Waco's menu keeps growing, Davis said you'll still be able to find her right where she belongs.
"People ask me all the time, 'why don't you retire,'" David said. "My standard reply is 'and do what?' I'd just rather be here."
Davis plans to have her children and grandchildren take over the family business once she decides it's time.
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