His song about Waffle House went viral. Then the company fired him.

A Gwinnett County man whose song celebrating Waffle House went viral has been fired by the Atlanta-headquartered restaurant franchise for violating its policy.

Edric Riley, whose musical moniker is Rockstar Riley, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he was fired Friday at the start of his shift at the company’s restaurant location on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.

In a statement Tuesday, the company told the AJC it ended Riley’s employment after he repeatedly violated its policy prohibiting unauthorized filming of promotional media content on company property.

“Waffle House supports our associates’ personal creative pursuits outside of work,” the company said. “However, our policies prohibit the use of company property as a venue for filming or producing content intended for personal promotion, commercial gain, or brand monetization without prior authorization, which Mr. Riley did not obtain.”

Riley, 35, said he’s upset but not angry at Waffle House, where he first worked as a teenage server and where he had hoped to become a manager and executive. He said the company warned him a month ago, on his birthday, that he’d be fired if he didn’t delete the widely shared social media content of him rapping in his uniform at work.

By that time, video of Riley performing his song “Waffy Options” had received more than 1 million views on TikTok alone, prompting media attention including a CBS News report.

Riley said the family-friendly song that highlights Waffle House’s menu and calls the business “America’s greatest diner” is devoid of profanity or any other offensive content and brought positive attention and extra sales to the company.

“It hurts that Waffle House fired me, but I knew it was coming,” Riley said Monday. “Waffle House is still my family.”

Norcross resident Edric Riley says he's pursuing a music career since being fired by Waffle House after his song about the restaurant chain went viral. (Jason Getz/AJC)

The company, founded in 1955, employs more than 45,000 people and has more than 2,000 locations in 25 states. Its restaurants are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Waffle House said management repeatedly told Riley about its policy and, though he understood the consequences, he subsequently filmed a music video in one of its restaurant parking lots without permission. The company said he brought in production crew, lighting and dancers for that video.

“Candidly, we did everything we could to help him keep his job, but because of these repeated policy violations, he left us no choice,” the company said.

Riley said he was a full-time supervisor at the Sandy Springs location. He said he had worked for Waffle House on and off over the years since the company first hired him, ultimately fulfilling every position under the level of manager or trainer.

“I worked at nearly 100 different locations, just being called in to help out,” he said. “I was a supervisor when I went viral.”

The company said Riley was employed for just over four and a half years in total.

Now, Riley said he’s delivering food for DoorDash while looking for better work opportunities and pursuing a music career, buoyed by his online popularity.

He started a GoFundMe campaign after being fired, seeking to receive $6,000 in donations for basic living costs. More than $1,700 had been donated Tuesday.

Riley said he’s been focused over the last few years on helping others and “shifting my life towards the right direction” after several stints behind bars. He said his Waffle House-inspired songs were part of that positive change.

Edric Riley, known as Rockstar Riley, says he first worked for Waffle House as a teenager. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Georgia Department of Corrections records show Riley was incarcerated five times between 2013 and 2022 for marijuana possession and aggravated assault. He’s been out of custody for four years.

“I’m not perfect,” he said. “But I’m really out here trying to do the right thing.”

Riley said a video of him performing “Waffy Options” at work was filmed and posted online by his friend in February, then gained traction after different people reposted it on multiple social media platforms.

Riley said he was promoting the business he loved. He said he spent almost $500 on Waffle House breakfast biscuits to give away to homeless people for one of his music videos.

Edric Riley says many of his former superiors at Waffle House loved his music about the business. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Riley, whose social media handle is @kingofthewaffy, told the AJC he’s now committed to pursuing his dreams as a performer.