eater.com/2017/3/6/14832948/joe-rogers-senior-waffle-house-dies >Joe Rogers Sr., the restaurateur who founded 24-hour diner chain Waffle House with his partner Tom Forkner, died on Friday. He was 97. As a young man, Rogers worked as a short-order cook and manager at the now-defunct Toddle House chain. He opened the first Waffle House with his neighbor Forkner in Avondale Estates, Georgia, in 1955. Forkner once explained how he and Rogers started the chain: “He said, ’You build a restaurant and I’ll show you how to run it.’”
>Rogers and Forkner decided to call it Waffle House because waffles were the most profitable items on the menu.
>The duo expanded slowly, opening just a few more locations during the restaurant’s first decade in business. But growth accelerated in the ’70s and ’80s and now the chain has more than 1,900 outposts, most of which are located in the South. Even though he was the co-founder, Rogers liked to hop behind the counter from time to time.
>With an all-day menu of inexpensive American comfort food, prepared to order, Waffle House developed a loyal fan base over the years — several high-minded chefs and food writers continue to sing its praises. John T. Edge once summed up the chain’s appeal: “Waffle House is a company that manages to be a national presence that still generates local pride, and that’s tough to do. Boysenberry syrup from IHOP is not in our vernacular.” Late at night, Waffle House is often a hotbed for bizarre criminal activity.
>Waffle House is a privately held company, and Rogers’s son, Joe Rogers Jr., is now the chairman. Rogers is survived by Forkner, who is currently 99. In a statement, Joe Jr. notes: “My father genuinely loved every customer who walked into a Waffle House, and customers immediately understood that... The customer always came first for him, and he made sure the customer came first for everyone who worked with him.” Pay your respects Veeky Forums
That's a bummer. I enjoy waffle house a few times a year. Comfy food, and depending on location, decent patrons. RIP
Levi Lewis
F
Xavier Johnson
F
Jaxon Morris
F
Christopher Roberts
F
many memorable (and even more unrememberable) nights have ended at a waffle house
Aaron Parker
F
God bless those hashbrowns.
Jacob Robinson
>Late at night, Waffle House is often a hotbed for bizarre criminal activity. wut
Nathan Gonzalez
F
Brandon Lee
Meth deals and lot lizard handjobs.
Ayden Wright
Never been to a Waffle House. How do they compare to the normal Village Inn/Denny's fair?
Ian Rodriguez
Have you ever been to a Waffle House in the economically-disadvantaged part of town during the evening hours? It's an experience
Brody Jenkins
Waffle House is superior in terms of price, but depending on how busy they are, the cleanliness of the joint may be in question
Lucas Anderson
it varies greatly by location, but it can be better than cracker barrel for less money than denny's if you find a good one
Brayden Collins
Good riddance. Waffle house blows. I'd sooner lick the men's room floor than eat that crap.
Gabriel Clark
F
Bentley Garcia
F
Brayden Jones
F
Sticky when?
Caleb Harris
As a Canadian, I love waffle house. I stop at them everytime I drive south. I like my hashbrowns smothered, covered and peppered. The black guys made the best sunny side up eggs ever the last time i went there. Fuck yeah. I tipped him a couple of bucks they were so good. Do you tip with take away at waffle house?
Luke Clark
Damn, that sucks to hear. I grew up in the south so I am pretty familiar with the All Star Special. Hashbrowns smothered and capped every time.
Friendly reminder that the Waffle House Index is a real thing in terms of guaging the need for disastee relief.
Jonathan Peterson
A day before pancake day? Conspiracy
Thomas Diaz
You never tip with take-away or counter service. Tipping is for table service only.
Elijah Foster
Waffle House is a national treasure. No joke there is one every 2 miles along the Mississippi gulf coast
Cooper Cook
F
Sebastian Powell
There are Waffle Houses in good neighborhoods?
Josiah Parker
Did he get shot?
Isaiah Allen
fuck me thats sad F What's everyone's classic go to?
"I'll have an order of waffles and two eggs fried."
I love waffle house
Tyler Cooper
F
I'll go there tonight for late night hash browns and waffles.
Levi Perez
You can tip whenever you want if it's hospitality-related. Bartenders, bellhops, busboys, servers, receptionists, valets, hostesses, cooks, doormen - it doesn't matter. If you want to slip someone some extra money to show you appreciate their service, it never hurts to do so.
Tyler Wilson
Remember that the ferrero rocher guy died on Valentine's Day. No death is sweeter than to be remembered on a corporate holiday that your company has made mad bux on
Thomas Brooks
F
Can't beat finding a dime sack on the floor. Thanks for the herb, Joe.
Jack Sanchez
You think they're bad, you should see Cook Out. Once it gets dark, all the darkies come out and get into gang wars in their parking lots. It's nigger central.
At least Waffle House along the highways is where truckers hang out.
Carson Diaz
But you say that about everything. One might think you had some sort of coprophagy fetish, user-kun. . . .
Tyler Watson
>I like my hashbrowns smothered, covered and peppered. Coincidentally, that's how they served Mr. Rogers after cremation.
Hunter Ward
F
went to georgia tech, enjoyed waffle house on many an occasion. great place for late night/early morning food, always served with a touch of attitude
Andrew Cruz
Pecan waffles with bacon for me. I'd get the hash browns too but they're just too much carbs at one sitting on top of the pecan waffles, and pecan waffles are IMPORTANT.
I ate there from time to time during my travels down South and I will forever remember those late nights when it was the only place open where a weary tired driver could get a bite and cup of coffee.
Elijah Thomas
>Toddle House
Cooper Butler
Yes, there are waffle houses in good neighborhoods now. They started building in better neighborhoods in the late 90s but continued their off ramp rampage as well. There is one about a 2 minute drive from my house and I live in an extremely good area of town.
GaTech represent. Me too brochacho. Pulling all nighters for thermo dynamics, emag, digital signal processing, applied combinatorics, compilers and translation...
waffle house at 3AM over by howell mill was the one thing that made it all bearable. That and some of the other establishments that were off of cheshire bridge - thank you bamboo luau...
back in college i would rock the triple order of hashbrowns, double covered. when i graduated and had some money, i would add an egg and cheese biscuit.
now that i am older and need to eat healthier i get a grilled chicken salad with the chicken chopped but on the side and a large bowl of grits. throw the chicken in the grits and this is some of the best food in america for the price.
RIP Joe
Julian Diaz
Will he smothered, covered, diced, and peppered in his grave?
David Edwards
F
let's get this stickied anons
Levi James
F
Jaxson Sanders
What's your favorite thing to get at Waffle House /ck? I almost always get a triple order of hashbrowns and then load it up with black pepper and hot sauce and just a little bit of mustard. Super filling for around $5-$7 (it depends on how they write the order up it seems, always different.)
Joshua Hughes
F Damn shame, used to eat at a waffle house pretty often a few years ago. Food and service was always great.
Oliver Martin
had wafflehouse for the first time a couple weeks ago.
they didn't have blueberry or strawberry waffles so i had to settle for chocolate. not enough mushrooms or tomatoes in my hashbrowns coffee was alright 7/10 rip.
Evan James
Getting waffles is rookie shit. Order a patty melt with onions, hash browns smothered, and a coke. Side of raisin toast. Cover the 'browns in ketchup and dip the patty melt in it
Parker Carter
>better than cracker barre
Let's not get carried away
Jonathan Taylor
F for Fat American that died
Liam Parker
>lives to 97 >clearly not fat in the pic nice try euroscum
Christian Price
They're both fat
Isaac Ramirez
F
Leo Williams
Sad day. I was on Fort Benning for training a lil over 2 years ago and me and my bros would go there some nights when we had time off in airborne and never get back on base til like 11 pm. Definitely gunna get some waffles when I can for this guy.
Julian Thomas
>Rogers and Forkner decided to call it Waffle House because waffles were the most profitable items on the menu. Jew-tier
Blake Myers
F
Nicholas Mitchell
F
Austin Howard
This is fucking all of your faults
You've been posting waffle house shit for weeks straight now. When that much attention is drawn to a single object the universe notices. It says, "Hey, this brings you joy? Fuck you, here's death".
And that's how good things come to and end. You all should feel fucking ashamed of yourselves.
Kayden Adams
First the owner of Little Caesar's, now Waffle House? Bad things come in threes... which chain is next?
Anthony Butler
Whatever it is, it will be lunch related.
Pizza is basically a dinner food, don't kid yourselves. We just had the owner of a breakfast food die, guess what's next?
It's going to be a lunch establishment. Whatever the fuck that is. Maybe business related like Sizzlers or Outback, where those suits go for their business lunches.
Could even be subway.
I bet Jarred is next. Getting shanked in prison or some shit.