Waffle House Is More Than Just A Breakfast Chain, It's Also A Music Label
Like a lantern on a hill, cutting light over the lands below, so the stolid black and yellow Waffle House sign shines over the American South. The restaurant chain has served up breakfast, lunch, and dinner to late-night partiers, road trip sojourners, and Sunday morning breakfasters for going on 70 years now.
The chain first opened its doors in 1955 in the Atlanta suburb of Avondale Estates. From the start, Waffle House served up breakfast foods (waffles, eggs, and hash browns your way) with little fuss and a humble atmosphere.
Since its inception, the chain has spread its roots across the South, becoming a cultural icon that inspires nostalgia. It has also accumulated quite the cult following thanks to its spare atmosphere, unique lingo (do you know what scattered, smothered, and covered mean?), and tasty waffles.
However, there is one quirky aspect of Waffle House that those uninitiated to the chain might not know about: its music label. Yes, Waffle House has its very own music label, aptly called Waffle Records. The label was originally founded in 1984, and was the brainchild of Waffle House co-founder Joe Rogers Sr. From the start, the music made by Waffle Music kept to a food-centric theme — featuring songs such as "There Are Raisins In My Toast" by artist Danny Jones — which play to the restaurant's niche menu. Now, these songs weren't exactly hot on the music charts; rather, they served to fill the chain's jukeboxes. And even though those jukeboxes have been updated, those cheesy (or raisin-y) songs remain on rotation in many Waffle House locations.
Music the Waffle House way
To the uninitiated, the impression of Waffle House comes down to two things: waffles and 24-hour service. The words Waffle House conjures a specific homely atmosphere of coffee carafes, and hearty, Southern breakfast foods. Anthony Bourdain once paid a visit to the all-day eatery on a 2015 episode of the series "Parts Unknown". In the episode, Bourdain marveled at Waffle House's humble food (steak and eggs, anyone?) and its open-to-all-comers attitude (via Us Weekly). But one thing he did not portray in his sketch of the chain was its signature jukebox, which is a shame. Any Waffle House patron worth their grits counts the jukebox as an essential feature of the chain, as necessary as, say, the flat top griddle.
Even more essential is its catalog of Waffle Records songs, from "Saturday Night at My Place" to "'Waffle House Family." The chain's jukeboxes display an array of pieces that focus on the restaurant's unique identity. The songs are notably lighthearted, and many are silly. However, they don't verge into the obnoxious. Waffle Records head Shelby White noted that the songs aren't "'Waffle House, Waffle House, Waffle House' over and over again." Rather, she says that the music is "about our food. It's about our people. It's about the things that happen if you just sit in a Waffle House and listen to the conversations around you" (via NPR). It's just one more way that the company works to build a textured, memorable experience for its diners.
A beloved smothered and covered tradition
Of course, Waffle House long ago removed its signature analog jukeboxes. The vintage machines, filled with a limited catalog of songs are a thing of the past. However, that doesn't mean that Waffle Records has gone the way of the dodo bird. In the place of the iconic jukebox now stands a TouchTunes jukebox, which features an endless selection of music. And, of course, you can also find the full catalog of Waffle Records, much to the joy of its loyal customer base and the chagrin of the few not so keen on the waffle-themed music.
One Reddit user recalled "hanging out at the Waffle House late night, chain smoking and drinking too much coffee, while singing along to our personal favorite 'Raisin Toast'". Another Waffle House patron posted a comment to Facebook that their "family tradition ... [was to] go eat waffle house and play a waffle house song on the player."
For many, the music played at Waffle House is a key part of the experience. It creates a sense of belonging and consistency. One can rest assured that no matter which location they land at, whether it's tucked into the skyline of downtown Atlanta, or nestled in the mountains of Tennessee, you can still hear the familiar tunes of Waffle Records, reminding you of a place that is more than a Waffle House, but a Waffle Home. Just don't play "Surfin' Bird" too many times, or you might overstay your welcome.