Historical marker ordered up for Waffle House
(Phil Skinner, pskinner@ajc.com)
Waffle House’s roots run deep in metro Atlanta, so deep that a historical marker is being ordered up along with pecan waffles, grits, eggs, bacon, hash browns and orange juice to commemorate the first one built nearly six decades ago.
The Georgia Historical Society will place a marker at the site of the first Waffle House on East College Avenue near Avondale Estates on Sept. 8. The chain, which has grown to 1,600 locations nationwide, was started by Avondale Estates neighbors Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner in 1955.
“In the beginning, we thought we would open about 10 locations and then go fishing,” Rogers said in a statement from the historical society.
Since its opening, waitresses at the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week restaurant have greeted many a late-night visitor with “What can I get for ya, hon’?” before firing off a rapid succession of orders to a cook who is already flipping, chopping, pressing, scraping and scooping up food from a large sizzling surface to slide onto plates.
The original building is now a museum at 2719 E. College Ave., which is where the marker will be erected. But if you have a craving for something scattered, smothered and covered after visiting the museum, you’ll find the chain’s trademark black and yellow sign just up the street at 2850 E. College Ave.
What’s your most memorable Waffle House experience?
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63 comments Add your comment
patty melt
August 29th, 2012
7:02 pm
I’m with you, 230gr Full Metal Jacket!!!!!
David
August 29th, 2012
7:03 pm
Best place for good quick food, Only place around that reminds me of the good ole days!……S A L U T E…………..Eat mo Chikin………….
freddt z
August 29th, 2012
7:14 pm
Robert you are an out of place dips&&T.
Go somewhere else please.
or let me catch you in an alley.
Elrr
August 29th, 2012
7:51 pm
My family and I always went to my parents house on Christmas Eve until they moved to California about ten years ago, leaving us needing to come up with something for Christmas Eve dinner. A Waffle House had just opened in our town and we stopped for dinner after church since virtually no other places open. This began our family tradition of eating at Waffle House on Christmas Eve.
Ain't That the Truth, Ruth
August 29th, 2012
8:11 pm
Last week I accidentally locked myself out of the house—I realized it when I got home at 1am. Rather than wake anyone, I headed to the old reliable, Waffle House. After a chicken sandwich, grits, and chocolate pie, I had a waffle (for dessert). The food was hot, the waitress was hospitable, and I left more willing to accept sleeping in the car for the night. Talk about comfort food.
partain
August 29th, 2012
9:29 pm
Go to the Atlanta Time Machine site, commercial bldgs section, for photo of the first waffle house circa 1965.
Interestingly the sign offers “Chick-fil-a” sandwiches.Chick-fil-A ’s first location would open in Greenbrier Mall two years later.
Thankful
August 30th, 2012
12:05 am
Only place around where a person, any person can enjoy a meal without being judged. True grace.
C C
August 30th, 2012
5:17 am
Lots of memories (many of them fuzzy) of the Northside Drive/I-75 location, stopping on the way home from Buckhead, before Ray “Stabby” Lewis helped kill the bar scene there. Once we were shocked to find out they were out of cheese (what?!?) so I promptly drove to the nearby Kroger and returned a hero, with large pack of Kraft singles so everyone could get various melt plates covered, smothered, topped, etc.
Another time a waitress got fed up dealing with the obnoxious drunks (not us…we could never have been obnoxious!)…so she told one of them off, theatrically threw down her apron, and hollered “Enough of this s***. I quit!”…walking out the door to thunderous applause.
Great food and good times…
Atlantarama
August 30th, 2012
6:12 am
I love Waffle House; it’s dependable, inexpensive, and the food is great.
The people making jokes don’t know what they’re talking about.
Boo
August 30th, 2012
5:36 pm
I lovvvvvvvvvve me some WaHo!
PM
August 31st, 2012
1:03 pm
Worked a tough overnight job in Peachtree City. Extremely long hours only at night. The crew I was with would pile in the van, go home, sleep, pile back in the van and go back to work. Back then, the only thing open was the Waffle House at hwy 74 and I-85 which was pretty rural at that time.
Per the sign on the wall, this was a training Waffle House so bigger than usual and with more staff who actually seemed to know what they were doing. Maybe we were just exhausted but that was some good eats.
Sammy W.
August 31st, 2012
1:20 pm
I remember one late night with my best girl friend–had just met her in a bar earlier in the evening. We went to the only nice restaurant still open at 2 A.M., Waffle House. In a stylish flourish that surprised even me (and impressed my date immeasurably), I ordered for us both, “Bring us two of your very finest steaks.”
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September 4th, 2012
2:29 pm
[...] site of the original Waffle House, located on East College Ave. in Avondale Estates, will receive an official historical marker from the Georgia Historical Society on Sept. 8. Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner first started the Waffle House chain, which now has more than 1,600 [...]