Q. Do you have any information on the old Dew Drop Cafe (known for their fried chicken) that was once located on the corner of Eighth and Dawson?
A. Almost every small town across the South had a Dew Drop Cafe, and Wilmington was no exception.
The building near the corner of 8th and Dawson, 717 Dawson St., started out in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s as the neighborhood laundry mat known as The Economy Washerteria.
By 1966, the laundry was gone and the Dew Drop Cafe was open. A place where you could get cold beer and good café food. Of all the dishes, their fried chicken was king and became known all over the city. Just as famous as the chicken was the lady who cooked it. Lela Baldwin Jones worked there for more than 30 years and became well known as the “The Chicken Lady.” She passed away in 2006 at the age of 80.
The building became home to the In & Out Food Mart in 1992, and now it currently houses Port City Sports Club.
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Date posted: February 22, 2013
User-contributed question by:
Vernetta Burgess
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