In-Town Focus Feeds Waffle House Expansion

Waffle House, the iconic restaurant chain that's a familiar sight at Interstate highway exits and suburban crossroads, is suddenly blanketing in-town Atlanta.

The company's latest location is being built in East Lake, at the corner of Memorial Drive and Candler Road. It is scheduled to open at the end of February, according to company spokeswoman Kelly Thrasher.

Thrasher said Waffle House doesn't comment about its growth strategy. But it's clear that the Norcross-based company sees in-town Atlanta as a sweet spot to sell its waffles and eggs.

In just over two years, Waffle House has opened locations in downtown near Underground Atlanta; on Piedmont Avenue near the Georgia State campus; and on 5th Street in Midtown, at Georgia Tech's Technology Square.

These locations, including East Lake, are owned by the company, not franchisees, Thrasher said.

The design of the East Lake Waffle House is familiar to anyone who's scarfed down the company's famous hash browns, waffles and cheese and eggs at one of the 1,500 Waffle House locations nationwide.

The rectangular building is surrounded on three sides by parking spaces. Out front, a large, bright yellow "Waffle House" sign looms. It's only a few miles from downtown, but the setting is downright suburban.

Neighbors include gas stations, a drug store and a large church.

The downtown and Midtown locations, in contrast, are quietly tucked into their environs, almost disappearing into the urban fabric.

At Technology Square in Midtown, Waffle House sits amid a row of storefronts that include an Asian noodle restaurant and bookstore.

There's a small sign above the door; parking is limited to a few on-street
spaces and nearby paid lots – Waffle House calls it a ‘walk-up’ design.

On a recent rainy morning, a few Georgia Tech students ate eggs and hash browns before class as staff bustled about the brightly lit space.

The design is familiar, yet updated. The focal point, like at any Waffle House, is a long countertop fronting
an open kitchen. Booths line the far wall, which is covered in gleaming white subway tile.

But the design of these urban locations isn’t exactly new for Waffle House. The company’s second location, which opened in 1957 at the corner of 10th and Peachtree, was a walk up restaurant with no parking lot, said Thrasher.

“These locations are meant to blend with the surrounding architecture," she said. "However, when you step inside, you will have the same Waffle House feel as the rest."