When Daniel Scholer sat down at one of the booths in Doc’s Porchside at the Grovetown, there was an easy confidence about him—the kind that comes from spending two decades in the restaurant business. But don’t mistake that comfort for complacency.

Four years ago, Daniel made one of the boldest moves in Augusta’s restaurant scene: walking away from a proven franchise model to build something entirely on his own.

The Wild Wing Cafe in Augusta used to be one of my favorite places to eat. Wings and beer, that was my love language. I was a frequent flyer. Any occasion was a reason to have wings. I held multiple business meetings there, and often stayed late for the live music.

When the change was announced, I was skeptical. I felt like something was being taken away from me. My spot. My memories. But my initial feelings about the change are not the reason I decided to do this. As I learned more about Daniel’s journey, I realized this wasn’t just about losing a favorite spot—it was about the bigger story behind it all.

The story of Doc’s Porchside isn’t just about wings, barbecue, and sports bars. It’s about family legacy, calculated risks, and the kind of grit required to reinvent yourself in an industry where failure is more common than success.

At a time when restaurants across the country were struggling, Daniel’s gamble feels especially daring—and worth paying attention to.

From Franchise Favorite to Family Business

Once a cheap, discarded cut, wings became an American staple after Buffalo, NY, gave us Buffalo wing. I mean, who doesn’t love wings?

Daniel’s family entered the restaurant business 21 years ago with Wild Wing Cafe, riding the franchise’s wave of success. By 2021, Daniel saw the writing on the wall. The number of stores dwindled to 15-20 stores, indicating there was trouble in paradise.

“The original ownership sold out,” Daniel explained. “Once they left, the company just wasn’t run the same. You didn’t have the same support. The whole structure changed.”

When his father’s health became a concern, the family faced a crossroads. It was when they decided it was time to step back. Stepping up, Daniel had a decision to make. He could continue with a declining franchise or strike out on their own. In April 2021, he chose the latter.

Two years later, in July 2023, Wild Wing Cafe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.


Daniel and his father during Doc’s construction

“We decided we were going to change in April, and by August we shut down Wild Wings and reopened 18 days later as Doc’s,” Daniel recalls. “Probably should have done more kitchen testing and slowed down the process, but we just ripped the Band-Aid off.”

The name “Doc’s” pays homage to Daniel’s father, and the transformation represented more than just a rebrand—it was a complete reimagining of what the restaurant could be.

The Smoking Revolution

The biggest change wasn’t the name; it was the food. Where Wild Wing built its reputation on wings, Doc’s Porchside had to find its own identity.

“We got away from wings being the majority of what we sold,” Daniel says. “We started smoking wings and then doing pulled pork, pork belly burn-ends, smoked turkey, brisket, [and] jalapeño pie. We keep the grills smoking full time.”

The concept was ambitious: blend traditional sports bar atmosphere with Southern barbecue and sophisticated smoking operation. But translating that vision from concept to execution proved challenging.

“Taking an idea and putting it into real-life application where you’re making good food in mass and volume—that was the biggest challenge,” he admits. “You can make a pork and bring a Boston butt out right now and shred it, and it’s the best it’ll ever taste. But how do you hold that and keep that over a period of time for dinner rush?”

The learning curve was steep. It involved what Daniel diplomatically called “a lot of mistakes” and constant menu adjustments. Over four years, they’ve run seven or eight different menus, keeping about 70% of the core items while rotating the remaining until they found what worked.

Building a Community, One Regular at a Time

Perhaps the biggest hurdle wasn’t the food—it was customers like me. People who had developed loyalty to Wild Wing over two decades.

“Wild Wing had such a loyal following that it constantly compared us,” Daniel explained. “This isn’t as good as Wild Wing, or we want this back, or we missed this item. We lost some of those customers, and then it took a while to develop our own following.”

Daniel also had to learn the busy times and seasons. Unlike traditional restaurants, where summer is peak season, for Doc’s Porchside, it is a slow time. Business picks back up when football season starts and peaks in the spring during Masters Week.

Surprisingly, Sunday brunch has been very successful. Especially with the folks leaving church looking for somewhere to eat.

Today, Doc’s Porchside has found its rhythm with live music, open mic nights, game days, and so on. The restaurant has also carved out its niche in catering and special events, from oyster roasts to Masters Week celebrations that transform the parking lot into a festival atmosphere.

The Price of Independence


Doc’s in Grovetown

The transition from franchise owner to independent restaurateur came with trade-offs that extend beyond the kitchen. Where franchises provide tested systems and corporate support, independence means every decision—and every mistake—is yours alone.

“The good thing about a franchise is you’re buying the recipes and systems that have been proven to succeed,” Daniel reflects. “When you’re doing it on your own, it’s sink or swim. We didn’t have a choice—we had to succeed. We’ve got too many people that depend on us to fail.”

That responsibility weighs heavily. Daniel works six days a week, sometimes seven, splitting time between both locations. His children, now 15 and 12, have grown up in the business, helping with everything from setting up the restaurant to running food during busy shifts.

“My daughter started last summer, not really working, but when there wasn’t summer camp or a grandparent she could stay with, she just comes to work with me,” he says. “Most people get a kick out of seeing her working in the restaurant.”

Looking Forward

At 41, Daniel, at the moment, has no plans for a third location. After helping open six restaurants in his career and watching one closing, he focused on perfecting what he has rather than expanding.

“I promised my managers that I wouldn’t do anything stupid for five years,” he laughs. “I’m at the point where my kids are teenagers, and I’m trying to spend as much time with them as I can.”

The Augusta Advantage

What strikes me most about Daniel’s story is how it reflects Augusta’s entrepreneurial spirit. In a city that could easily default to corporate chains and franchise safety, local business owners like Daniel are choosing the harder path—building something uniquely their own.

His success with Doc’s Porchside demonstrates that Augusta’s dining scene has room for operators willing to take risks, invest in quality, and commit to the long-term work of building community one meal at a time.

As our conversation wrapped up, Daniel was already thinking about the dinner rush ahead and making plans for when football season starts. For him, Doc’s Porchside isn’t just a business—it’s a daily recommitment to the vision he and his family built from scratch, one smoked brisket and satisfied customer at a time.

Conclusion

Doc’s Porchside isn’t just a rebrand—it’s a reinvention rooted in resilience, family, and a deep understanding of the local community. In an industry where it’s easier to play it safe, Daniel Scholer chose to bet on something personal, something his own. And for those of us who’ve followed the journey from Wild Wing to Doc’s, it’s clear: the risk was worth it.