Food & Dining
Food & Dining

Timeline: Waffle House didn’t cook up an empire overnight

In this file photo taken July 26, 2005, Waffle House founders Joe Rogers Sr. (left) and Tom Forkner pose in front of a Waffle House restaurant in Norcross after eating lunch there. AP PHOTO / RIC FELD, FILE
In this file photo taken July 26, 2005, Waffle House founders Joe Rogers Sr. (left) and Tom Forkner pose in front of a Waffle House restaurant in Norcross after eating lunch there. AP PHOTO / RIC FELD, FILE
By
Aug 13, 2019

A Waffle House empire wasn’t built in a day. Here, some key dates in Waffle House history:

YOUR GUIDE TO WAFFLE HOUSE:

ExploreYou never forget your first Waffle House experience
ExploreThese metro Atlanta chefs are Waffle House fans, too
ExploreWhat makes a Waffle House good? We asked
ExploreNot just waffles: Waffle House also keeps customers singing original tunes
ExploreWaffle House Museum offers a trip back in time
ExploreYour complete guide to Waffle House hashbrowns
ExploreWaffle House menu items pay homage to employees
ExploreWaffle House has a record label -- listen to songs like “Waffle Do Wop” here
ExploreTimeline: Waffle House didn’t cook up an empire overnight
ExploreWaffle House by the numbers

MORE ON WAFFLE HOUSE:

Explore12 things you didn't know about Waffle House
ExploreWhy Waffle House is the best restaurant in Atlanta
ExploreWhat’s your Waffle House order? Celebs on Super Bowl red carpet answer
ExploreRhythm and hashbrowns: 10 times Waffle House is mentioned in rap songs
ExploreWhy the government turns to Waffle House when tracking emergencies
ExploreAn iconic restaurant’s roots are based in Atlanta
ExploreWaffle House: Recipe for Southern success is history
ExploreWaffle House wows food critic Anthony Bourdain
ExploreWaffle House’s design has shoebox shape
ExploreWaffle House sits at the heart of SEC football
ExploreJoe Rogers profile: The cornerstone of Waffle House
ExploreQuiz: What does your Waffle House order say about you?
ExploreA brief history of celebrities eating at Waffle House

PHOTOS:

ExplorePhotos: Waffle House Museum
ExploreLove is in the air at Waffle House

VIDEOS:

Explore5 things to know about Waffle House
ExploreWhat is the “Waffle House index?”
Explore12 things you didn’t know about Waffle House
ExploreSuper Bowl 53: What’s your Waffle House order? Celebs on Super Bowl red carpet answer
ExploreRead the AJC Spring Dining Guide: The Atlanta barbecue issue

Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.

About the Author

Yvonne Zusel has been with the AJC since 2010. She worked on the digital news and food and dining teams before joining the arts & entertainment team.

More Stories

Keep Reading

Lights are displayed outside of the Woodruff Arts Center near the intersection of Peachtree Street and 15th Street. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren

Why Midtown’s holiday lights display is a little less vibrant this year

Midtown Bright, the annual winter lights display, was cut back this year.

Former ice cream shop, squirrel’s abode among stops on Grant Park home tour

Nods to history are present throughout most, if not all, of the 10 houses featured on this year’s self-guided Candlelight Tour of Homes in Grant Park.

First apartments join Lulah Hills, the $850M redo of North DeKalb Mall

The site once home to Atlanta’s first enclosed and air-conditioned mall is about to enter a new era of housing hundreds of people — and not just during shopping hours.

The Latest

I. Pano Karatassos, the founder and CEO of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group and a co-founder of the Georgia Restaurant Association, was inducted into the hall of fame during the Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence Awards. (Courtesy of the Georgia Restaurant Association)

Credit: Courtesy of the Georgia Restaurant Association

Atlanta restaurants bring home awards, and more from the metro dining scene

Check out these 3 red wine blends for the holiday season

RECIPES

Christmas desserts connect Atlanta homes to homelands

Featured

Waymo autonomous vehicles operate across 65 square miles inside I-285 and have been involved in six incidents with Atlanta Public School buses since May. Waymo issued a recall because of their cars briefly stopping or slowing down before continuing forward while a bus was stopped and flashing its lights. (Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools)

Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools

Waymo cars ignored stopped school buses in Atlanta. What happens now?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation. The autonomous vehicle company has issued a software recall.

Search for new MARTA chief hits snag

The search for a new leader for the regional transit authority is widely seen as one of the most important duties facing the Marta Board

Georgia high school coach choked player, put another in headlock, warrants say

The Greene County High coach was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of simple battery, according to investigators.