A recent question and answer about the history of the Waffle House has scrambled up other inquiries from readers about the legendary 24-hour dining establishments.
Q: I would like to know the locations of the first four Waffle Houses by year. I think one was in Forest Park, where I live.
—Scott MacLean, Forest Park
A: The Waffle Houses weren't scattered in the beginning. After Joe Rogers and Tom Forkner opened the first one in Avondale Estates on Labor Day 1955, the second one was opened at 10th and Peachtree streets in Atlanta in 1957, company spokeswoman Kelly Thrasher wrote in an email. The third and fourth Waffle Houses were in Decatur, on Glen Road and on Church Street. The original Waffle House was sold in the 1970s, but the company bought the building and turned it into a museum. There are now more than 1,600 Waffle House restaurants in 25 states, according to wafflehouse.com.
Q: I just read the article about our famous Waffle Houses in Atlanta and I am curious to know who Bert is of “Bert’s Chili”?
—Roger Davis, Alpharetta
A:
Bert’s Chili, which joins Walt’s Soup and Alice’s Iced Tea among the menu items named for employees, is the namesake of Bert Thornton, an Atlanta native and Georgia Tech grad who began working at Waffle House in the 1970s. He was a store manager who eventually became president of the company. Thornton came up with his chili recipe in the 1980s, and the company’s website states that “each pot of chili is prepared using only the finest ingredients, including chili beans, USDA Choice hamburger, Jimmy Dean sausage, tomato, onions and a special blend of seasonings.” In 2007, Michael Walter and Jason Phelps wrote and produced “Bert,” a song that describes a young man who thinks his girlfriend is seeing another man, only to find out that she’s in love with Bert’s Chili. The song is on a CD called Waffle House Jukebox Favorites, Vol. 2 -- both of which can be purchased on iTunes -- and the video can be watched here:
Q: Why are most of the Waffle House buildings shaped like a rectangle?
A: Because the first Waffle House was shaped like one (and we guess it was too tough to build it in the shape of its signature round waffles). "This shape was the best layout for the open kitchen model with booths and the counter seats," Thrasher wrote.
What do you want to know about Georgia?
If you’re new in town or have questions about this special place we call home, ask us! E-mail Andy Johnston at q&a@ajc.com.
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