Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Waffle Palace at the Waffle House

When I first moved to Atlanta in 1987, I lived a stone's throw from the quaint, village-esque Avondale Estates, home of the first Waffle House, which opened on Labor Day 1955. But I never knew the restaurant was there, even though I'd passed it about a bazillion times.

Turns out, that that restaurant—the original Waffle House restaurant—reopened in 2008 as a museum honoring the company's history and now 1,600-plus restaurants, in 25 states, as "The Waffle House Museum."

Cast of "The Waffle Palace" (Horizon) at the Waffle House Museum
Cast of "The Waffle Palace" (Horizon) at the Waffle House Museum
When exploring the multitude of "unknown Atlanta gems," the Waffle House Museum was on my list, but its being open to the public only once a month made it challenging to include in such a busy person's schedule. 

However, now having been, I do recommend making time to visit the Waffle House Museum, especially if you're someone who is or has been a fan of Waffle House waffles. For that reason and that it's such a well-known part of Atlanta history!

Waffle House Museum
Waffle House Museum
I had a blast visiting the Museum the day I went...the cast of The Waffle Palace was there! Waffle Palace is a show currently running at Horizon Theatre in Little Five Points.

There were dozens and dozens of visitors and a rather diverse group it was. Everyone was having fun. 

The Waffle Palace cast was incredibly engaging, there were coupons for free waffles at Waffle House, there were raffles, there was music, and there were incredibly knowledgeable docents sharing a great amount of detail about the history of Waffle House—which impressed me given that the Museum is open only once a month.

The Original Waffle House, Waffle House Museum
The Original Waffle House, Waffle House Museum
I met Kristen Gwock while I was there. She's the Marketing Manager at Horizon Theatre and was incredibly enthusiastic about Waffle Palace...so much that I can hardly wait to go see it! 

And every member of the cast was fabulous...going around talking with visitors, posing for photos, in character and in costume...and always pleasant and fun.

Waffle House Museum
Waffle House Museum
So, the Waffle House Museum is actually in two buildings, including the original restaurant, which features the dining room and the pantry (where all the food was stored and prepared). Of note, in 1955, EVERYTHING on the menu was prepared from scratch except for three items: Coca-Cola, Heinz ketchup, and Post Toasties cereal.

Waffle House Museum, Kitchen and Pantry
Waffle House Museum, Kitchen and Pantry
The Museum is also comprised of the attached neighboring building, which houses quite a few displays that include a restaurant counter, a juke box, artifacts from Waffle Houses in New Orleans that fell to Hurricane Katrina, and countless other historical items that tell the story of an incredibly successful restaurant.

There are recordings around the museum, so be sure to look for the activation buttons on the walls. They provide historical recollections and factoids—fun stuff!

One thing that I found very interesting was that in the original dining room there were no tables. There was the counter seating and a couple of benches against the opposing wall. And the benches we for those guests who wanted only coffee, while the counter was reserved for dining guests. Rather different these days, yes?

There's so more I could share, but don't want to spoil the fun. Here's one last photo to entice you to go see the Museum and you can find even more photos over on the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page. I also recommend, based on meeting the cast and Kristen, going to see The Waffle Palace.

Waffle House Museum
Waffle House Museum

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