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LAPLACE — Hundreds of senior citizens from St. John the Baptist, St. Charles and St. James parishes were treated to a free Thanksgiving feast Monday at Da King of Wingz in LaPlace.

Owners Shawn Ketchens and Debrielle McCall wanted to give back to the older residents of the community who have supported the new restaurant since it opened at 1721 Airline Highway earlier this year.

“They support us a lot,” Ketchens said. “We’ve been blessed with a lot, so we wanted to bless them with a Thanksgiving meal.”

On Monday morning, senior citizens ages 60 and up were invited to a free breakfast buffet, along with police officers, firefighters and other first responders in the community.

A few hours later, busloads of residents from Council on Aging senior centers in the tri-parish area rolled into the parking lot and filled every seat in the large restaurant.

Seniors were treated to full salad, lunch and dessert bars featuring turkey, ham, rice dressing, cornbread dressing, baked mac and cheese and much more.

A Council on Aging coordinator led grace before the seniors headed to the buffet. During the prayer, she said, “Thank you Lord for this awesome get together. We pray for King of Wingz for this blessing. They didn’t have to do it, but they did.”

The Thanksgiving outreach was not the first time Da King of Wingz has given back to the community. When Bayou Steel declared bankruptcy and laid off 376 workers without warning, Da King of Wingz provided free breakfast and lunch to impacted employees.

McCall said the restaurant is built on love that only a close-knit family can bring.

“My mom and my sister love to cook, and I like working with people,” McCall said. “That’s how we came to open a restaurant. We love to make people happy with our food. If they come, they are going to get great food and great service. They are going to love the food and the atmosphere.”

Ketchens said great feedback from customers makes it all worth it.

“We make you feel like you’re at home,” Ketchens said. “We’ve going to make it a point that when you leave, you have to come back.”

Prior to opening at 1721 Airline Highway at the end of May, the McCall/Ketchens family operated a small wing spot inside the Baloney Funeral Home.

Da King of Wingz specializes in home cooked soul food dishes including but not limited to BBQ ribs, baked chicken, fried fish, pastalaya, loaded potatoes, drunken shrimp, honey ham, and, of course, a variety of wings. Salad, fruit and dessert bars are offered with the buffet, which is offered from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

A breakfast buffet is open daily from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. Regular menu hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, noon to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call 225-558-1492 or visit Da King of Wingz on Facebook.