AVONDALE ESTATES, Ga. — Waffle House celebrated its 70th anniversary on Sept. 6 with free waffles and a look back at how a neighborhood diner became an American institution during an open house at the Waffle House Museum in Decatur.
“Today’s event is all about supporting the community and celebrating our 70th anniversary,” said Bud Whitmire, vice president of corporate affairs for Waffle House, which has headquarters based in Norcross.
The Waffle House story began on Labor Day weekend in 1955, when neighbors Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner opened the first Waffle House at 2719 E. College Ave. in Avondale Estates. Their vision was straightforward: create “a good, neighborhood-friendly restaurant that folks could enjoy 24 hours a day,” Whitmire said.
That original location, now preserved as the Waffle House Museum and designated as Unit No. 1, has grown into a chain of over 2,000 restaurants in 25 states.
Waffle House’s expansion paralleled the development of America’s interstate system.
“The highway system kind of grew us,” Whitmire noted. “People wanted a good, safe, friendly place to stop on the road, and so we really grew along with the interstate system.”
This growth strategy helped establish Waffle House as more than just a restaurant—it became a reliable roadside beacon for travelers.
The chain’s commitment to staying open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, led to an unexpected claim to fame: the Waffle House Index, an informal measure used to assess storm damage.
“We’re always open, unless there’s a really bad storm. But safety is first,” Whitmire said. “If we’ve got people, and we’ve got power and we’ve got food, we can serve the community. If we’re closed or can’t get back open, then it got hit really hard, but we try to be there for the community as quickly as we can. That’s one of our signatures.”
Behind the scenes at Waffle House
Visitors to the 70th anniversary celebration learned some insider secrets, including how Waffle House cooks manage orders as they’re called out. The chain uses a unique coding system involving condiment packets and their placement on plates to communicate order specifications.
“We’ve got a kind of coding system on the plates,” Whitmire revealed. “You mark the plates with a jelly packet or condiments. Different positions on the plate represent different ways to cook your eggs, how you like your sandwiches and meats cooked, all that sort of stuff.”
As for the most popular menu items? Hash browns and waffles remain the crowd favorites, according to Whitmire.
The celebration featured free waffles, including a limited-availability birthday cake waffle, self-guided museum tours and Waffle House merchandise. The Waffle House Museum welcomes visitors through quarterly open houses, with dates posted at wafflehouse.com/museum and guided tours on request.
“Thank you to our customers and our community for being loyal to us,” Whitmire said. “We appreciate the loyalty, and we’re just honored to continue serving for another 70 years, at least.”
This story was provided by WABE media partner Decaturish.
