A little story about drag brunch.

Amber Nixx as Bette Midler

Just last night Mr. Beers and I had the pleasure of attending a performance of Flashdance The Musical at The Majestic Theatre in San Antonio. A friend and neighbor had tickets that they could not use, so there we were. The seats were great (Thanks, Melody & Andy!) and the show was fun. At intermission Mr. Beers and I were milling about when we heard a pleasant voice calling out, "W. D. Deli!" We turned to see a beautiful woman trying to get our attention. "W. D. Deli! I was just texting my girlfriends trying to get a group together to come over Sunday for Drag Brunch!" We gave her a shy sympathetic sheepish shrug and explained that we hadn't done Drag Brunch at the deli for the past six years or so...

The inspiration for W. D. Deli's Drag Brunch came from a long ago visit to Washington, D. C. On that visit Mr. Beers's brother Russel and his wife treated us to a fantastic Sunday Drag Brunch at Perry's. The food was great, the drinks were flowing - and then every once in a while the music would swell, the energy in the room would change, and we'd be treated to a lovely dance and pantomime performance from one of  D.C.'s most fabulous female impersonators. Of course, we were inspired. Who wouldn't be inspired?

A performer at Perry's in Washington, D. C., giving you brunch buffet realness.

Once we moved W. D. Deli from the smaller location on McCullough and settled into our digs on Broadway, we started talking about the possibility of having our very own Drag Brunch. Eventually we got our drag ducks in a row and decided to go for it.  We talked it over with Miss Ree, and Miss Ree suggested we talk to Amber Nixx about securing entertainment for such a venture. Miss Nixx turned out to be a godsend, serving as our "show director," and making sure everybody was booked and prepared and sometimes giving our "shows" a theme, and always making Sunday Drag Brunch a party for everyone involved.

Amber Nixx

W. D. Deli Drag Brunch was pretty popular. There were two seatings - 11:30 and 1:00 - and they were both packed.  Brunch was a buffet that included everything from caesar salad to eggs benedict, from lox and bagels to pancakes and hash browns casserole.  Good stuff. And the entertainment was always great.  Mr. Beers's sweet mother was there for one of those fantastic Sunday fun days, upon which she made the observation about the general vibe: "It's such a rush. It's like an adrenaline high." Drag Brunch was written up in the Express-News, and KSAT's Ursula Pari did a great television piece on drag brunch - which included such great information as how to apply and remove glitter as an eyeshadow.

Layla Larue as Tina Turner

But Drag Brunch also meant that the deli was open seven days a week. That means we worked seven days a week.  Though it was a lot of fun, it was also a lot of work. Offering a completely different menu for one day of the week required lots of extra buying and prep work, and extra staff.  Drag Brunch operated on a reservation system which was also sometimes a problem. For some folks who reserved a table for two or four or six or eight, getting up on Sunday morning to go to Drag Brunch was just too difficult.  We had a good number of people who reserved tables who were no-shows. As a result, sometimes we turned people away, and sometimes tables sat empty - which was frustrating for everyone - staff, management, entertainers, and those turned away (potential) customers.

Eventually the decision was made to discontinue W. D. Deli Drag Brunch. It was a small percentage of our total business, and we felt it was important to focus on what we did the most of, and what we feel we do best. Drag Brunch still has a special place in our hearts and in our memories. And we'd love it if someone else would take on the mantle of Sunday Fabulousness. We'd show up. And we'd probably bring some folks, too.