tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption

CHAIN -- Waffle House
Owner -- Privately Held
Primary Operating Region -- South and Midwest
Number of Locations -- 1,500 (2006)

I've seen several knockoff recipes for Waffle House waffles on the web.  These are for people who want to make a similar waffle at home.  Frankly, the "waffle" is only a small part of the point of going to Waffle House.  You might replicate the waffle, but you'll never replicate the experience.

Walk into Waffle House (or "Waffle & Steak" in Indiana, where the "Waffle House" name was already taken by an Indianapolis chain) and you’re likely to hear “Good morning!” or “Hello!” from a significant amount of the working staff.   You also might hear your name if you’re a regular.  I once overheard a customer note “It’s like walking into the ‘Cheers’ bar.”

Joe Rogers Sr worked his way from short-order cook to executive with Toddle House, a chain started in Texas in 1931 that eventually was purchased and relocated to Memphis by James Frederick Smith (father of the Fred Smith who founded FedEx).  Toddle House was a short-order diner consisting of basically a grill and a row of stools.  The fast-moving staff did quite a dine-in and take-out business around the clock moving popular items like their "Icebox Chocolate Pie" and bags of cheap burgers. Toddle House thrived in the 1930's and 1940's, but was sold off in 1962 and was all but dead by the 1970's.  A short-lived attempt to revitalize the chain occurred in the 1980's.  Apparently, there are a precious few Toddle House diners still operating independently.

Rogers was still with Toddle House when he met Tom Forkner in 1949.  In 1955, on the wave of the evolution of a fast food nation, the partners opened the first Waffle House in Avondale Estates, GA.  Waffle House borrowed a lot from the Toddle House format (including that waffle recipe).  Rogers actually remained with Toddle House until 1960 before joining the then three-store Waffle House chain full-time.  Joe Rogers Jr took over in 1973.  The original partners, however, still show up at the office.

Waffle House is a classic short-order diner that hasn't changed much since 1955.  Enter and seat yourself.  Servers shout orders in a run-on language all their own ("Waffle two eggs bacon hash browns smothered covered and topped no grits") from the 30-40 seat dining area to the open kitchen that takes up about a third of the narrow floor plan.  When filled to capacity, the orders come in at a rapid fire pace and plates pre-prepped await in line.  Everything is done verbally.  I am in awe of the staff's ability to keep track of it all, and I've never had an order prepared incorrectly.

Waffle House uses every available inch of space.   They could fit another table in if they got rid of the jukebox, but that's part of the show.  It's filled with Waffle House-original tunes that drive the help up the wall.  Even the newest locations use big white ball lighting that most chains abandoned in the early 70’s.  Older locations feature various tones of wood paneling from walls to tabletops.  Newer locations have bright white tile and gray counters and tables with red accents.  In either case,  it’s the 1960's all over again.

When I say “open kitchen”, I mean it.  Aside from bathrooms, a back storage room and office, Waffle House is out in the open for all to see, and the kitchen is center stage.  If you sit at the counter, you will see everything cooked, arranged, and prepared.  The dishes are done on the other side of that counter (beware...I almost got sprayed once).  You can be the only customer in the building and it STILL seems busy.  The intimacy it provides means that regular customers and staff can get to know each other really well.  So well, in fact, that when Lawrence "Tuna" Clark died with few living relatives, his funeral was held at the Waffle House he referred to as his "office" where he ate at least once a day and where he'd befriended and helped employees in ways like providing them transportation for years.  Employees and regulars become sort of an extended family.

The secret to Waffle House’s building size and their success is that they turn over customers quickly.  You’re in, you order, you’re fed, you’re out.  Thus the slogan "Good food fast".  I’ve been in and out in less than fifteen minutes.

The menu, a single laminated placemat-sized page, features more items than a lot of three-page restaurant menus.  Waffles are here, but don’t dominate the menu.  You can have omelets, steaks (several in breakfast configurations), burgers, soup, chili, and more.  It’s all good, it’s all available 24 hours every day of the year, and it’s all reasonably priced.  Waffle House claims to be the world's leading server of: Waffles, T-Bone Steaks, Omelets, Cheese 'n Eggs, Grits, Raisin Toast, and Apple Butter.  Some menu items are named after people.  The "Bert" of "Bert's Chili" is actually Bert Thornton, Waffle House President.  It's his recipe.

Waffle House is considered "seedy" by some, colorful by all.  It's not odd to find a sleeping waitress at a table in between a double-shift.  There are stories of Waffle House visits all over the web.  Waffle House is the kind of place you’re either going to walk into and turn right back around in disgust because you’re pretentious, or you’re going to walk into daily because you know you can sit at the counter and just feel at home.  Even loners can't feel alone.

And yes, it's true...Waffle House does make a darn fine waffle. 

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