On what date was Waffle House founded?

Waffle House was founded on September 5, 1955, when its first restaurant opened in Avondale Estates, Georgia.

The original location stood at 2719 East College Avenue, near Atlanta. It was created by Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner, who wanted to combine fast-food speed with table service and round-the-clock availability. The restaurant’s name reflected the importance of waffles on its early menu: waffles were reportedly the most profitable item among the 16 offerings.

The date is sometimes confused with Labor Day weekend, because the first restaurant opened during that holiday weekend in 1955. September 5 was Labor Day that year, making both descriptions accurate, but the specific founding date used by the company and reference works is September 5, 1955.

Waffle House expanded slowly at first. By 1960 it had four restaurants, and the company began franchising during that decade. The original restaurant was later restored and is now associated with the Waffle House Museum.