Georgia Magazine - December 2022 - 22

Left: Popular tunes play on the jukebox including Waffl e House original songs.
Above: Associates at Waffl e House serve 299.2 million eggs every year, equaling 3.9 billion
eggs in the company's history. " We serve 2 percent of all eggs used in the industry, "
says Njeri Boss, Waffl e House vice president of public relations.
Waffle House whimsy
The full Waffle House experience involves more than
eating.
" Music is a big part of the atmosphere, " Boss says. " Our
diners select songs from a huge catalog of jukebox music-
music for whatever mood they're in at the time. We also have
our own record company [Waffle Records] with 40 or 50 songs.
Joe Rogers Sr. started it in 1984. "
On any given day or evening, customers balance on counter
stools to devour eggs and grits while nodding along to jukebox
standards like Chris Stapleton's rendition of " Tennessee
Whiskey " or Waffle House originals, such as " Good Food Fast "
by Eddie Middleton. At the end of last year, the company
released a music video on social media featuring Kim Cruse
singing " Don't You Wanna Go? "
The somewhat-encrypted language used to call in orders
adds to the ambiance, too. For example, customers who order
hash browns " scattered, smothered and chunked " expect
their shredded potatoes to include sauteed onions and pieces
of grilled hickory-smoked ham. " Covered " indicates melted
cheese; " peppered " adds spicy jalapeño peppers; " topped "
adds the company's iconic Bert's Chili; " capped " is with grilled
mushrooms; and " country " means sausage gravy is poured over
the top.
For the thousands who have become super fans of all
things Waffle House, a museum at the site of the original diner
in DeKalb County makes for an interesting road trip. The museum,
a re-creation of the first restaurant, features photos, menus
and memorabilia. Tours can be booked through the website.
There's so much more to the Waffle House experience
than waffles. At counters in Georgia and beyond, associates
serve heaping helpings of comfort food, good times and, most
of all, love.
Amber Lanier Nagle is a freelance writer living in
Adairsville.
22 Georgia Magazine December 2022
When you go
* Waffle House, wafflehouse.com
* Waffle House Museum, 2719 E. College Ave., Decatur,
wafflehouse.com/museum
'The Waffl e House Index'
Known for its dependability and reputation of " always
being open, " Waffle House is associated with an informal
metric used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) to help assess the severity of disasters.
In 2004, former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate
coined the term " The Waffle House Index " to categorize and
color-code emergency situations when he was serving as
director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
He's credited with saying, " If you get to [the scene], and
the Waffle House is closed ... that's really bad ... "
The index is as follows:
Green: The restaurant has power and offers full service and
a full menu.
Yellow: The diner offers a limited menu with low food
supplies or lack of power.
Red: The Waffle House is closed.
COURTESY WAFFLE HOUSE INC.
COURTESY WAFFLE HOUSE INC.
COURTESY WAFFLE HOUSE INC.

http://www.wafflehouse.com http://www.wafflehouse.com/museum

Georgia Magazine - December 2022

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