Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken redevelops former Dooley’s Tavern site

ROSEVILLE — There is a new franchise in town, one that redeveloped a vacant building, and it promises to satisfy your appetite.

On July 11, the Eastpointe-Roseville Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the grand opening of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken in Roseville.

Located at 32500 Gratiot Ave., across the street from Macomb Mall, the new eatery opened at the site of the former Dooley’s Tavern, which ceased operations after two fatal shootings in the bar in 2019 and 2022.

City administrators are pleased to see a new business on Gratiot Avenue.

“We are excited to welcome Lee’s Famous Chicken to Roseville,” Roseville City Manager Ryan Monroe said via email. “They have redeveloped that vacant building into a beautiful multi-unit property. We are grateful to them and so many other businesses that are selecting Roseville for investments.”

“We’re excited for new investment in the community, new investment in beautifying our city and new eating options for our residents,” Roseville Administrative Services Specialist James Gammicchia said.

Chamber Executive Director Linda Weishaupt introduced Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken to those gathered, noting it is “the first one in Macomb County.”

Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, which began in 1966 in Lima, Ohio, is known for its homestyle fried chicken. Menu items include baked beans, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw and biscuits.

The new Roseville location, owned by Ray Also and Norman Aiyash, offers dine-in, carryout, drive-thru and catering services. Many dignitaries and employees attended the grand opening, including Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel and Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken CEO Ryan Weaver.

“Good to see everybody. Thank you for having us in Roseville,” Weaver said. “We are getting ready to come up on our 60th anniversary as a brand and a concept. We do fried chicken; we think we do it better than anyone else at the end of the day. That’s kind of who we are.”

The chicken — cooked fresh — is honey-dipped, hand-breaded and pressure-cooked.

“We’re going to bring our great product to this community. We’re going to bring our great operation and our franchising partners as well,” Weaver said. “This is going to be our third location we’ve opened in about the last 18 months: Livonia, Wayne and now Roseville.”

Leo D. Gonzalez, a franchising partner, also shared his thoughts on coming to Roseville.

“We are glad to be here. In order to execute a plan like this, it takes a lot of people from the city’s side to the county to the franchise. They come together, including the partners, to execute on this. In any business, you got to have the right people on the team,” he said. “We are thrilled to be in your community. You’ve welcomed us. We look forward to seeing you in our dining room soon. Our extension in this community is really through you.”

Representatives from the offices of Congressman John James, R-10th District; and state Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, D-Eastpointe, presented Also and Aiyash with special certificates as the new business gets off the ground. Roseville City Council member Kurmmell Knox presented Lee’s staff members with a gift basket. He joked that he would be the first in line to order.

“I’m going to bring my family and tell my friends. That’s what we do in Roseville. We welcome businesses that come here with an idea to make this a better place,” Knox said. “We know that you are going to be great community partners, so we’re excited about that. We’re excited about the establishment of this place and the opportunity to have another nationally known brand in the city of Roseville.”

According to the website leesfamousrecipe.com, ​Lee Cummings and Harold Omer opened Harold’s Take Home restaurant in Lima, Ohio, where Cummings introduced his chicken recipe. The company expanded over the years, and Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken locations today are in 11 other states — including Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky — and British Columbia, Canada.

Staff Writer Nick Powers contributed to this report.