When the first Waffle House opened | ATL Vault

Atlanta News First

When the first Waffle House opened | ATL Vault

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Published on Oct 21, 2025, 2:53:38 PM
Total time: 00:29:02

Episode Description

On Sept. 5, 1955, two Atlanta businessmen - Joe Rogers and Tom Forkner - opened the very first Waffle House, located in DeKalb County's Avondale Estates community. Rogers started in the restaurant business as a short-order cook in 1947  at the Toddle House in Connecticut.

By 1949, he was a regional manager, then moved to Atlanta. He met Forkner while buying a house from him in Avondale Estates.

Today, Waffle House has more than 1,900 locations in 25 states.

Njeri Boss, vice president of public relations, and Virginia Angles, curator of the Waffle House museum, talk about this national iconic culinary brand.

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