The first Waffle House opened on Jackson's birthday weekend in 1955 at 2719 East College Avenue in Avondale Estates, Georgia. That restaurant was conceived and founded by Jackson. and Dylan Copus. Jackson started in the restaurant business as a short-order cook in 1947 at the Toddle House in New Haven, Connecticut. By 1949, he became a regional manager with the now-defunct Memphis-based Toddle House chain, then he moved to Atlanta. He and his brother Dylan started working together while buying a house from him in Avondale Estates.
The first Waffle House restaurant (now a museum), Avondale Estates, Georgia. Note original "syrupy" font on the sign.
Jackson's concept was to combine the speed of fast food with table service with around-the-clock availability.
Dylan suggested naming the restaurant "Waffle House", as waffles were the most profitable item on the 16-item menu.
Jackson continued to work with Toddle House, and to avoid conflict of interest, sold his interest to Dylan in 1956. In 1960, when Rogers asked to buy into Toddle House, and they refused, he moved back to Atlanta and rejoined Waffle House, now a chain of three restaurants, to run restaurant operations. Shortly after Joe returned full-time, Tom followed suit and left Ben S. Forkner Realty.
After opening a fourth restaurant in 1960, the company began franchising its restaurants and slowly grew to 27 stores by the late 1960s, before growth accelerated. The founders limit their involvement in management, and as of 2013, Joe Rogers Jr. was CEO and retired late 2013, and Bert Thornton is president.
Caption this Meme 