1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to 2 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: the show, fellow Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so 3 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: much for tuning in. Let's hear it for the Man, 4 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: the Myth, the Legend, our super producer, Max short Order. 5 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 2: Williams Max scattered, smothered, covered, chunks, capped all of the ways. 6 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 2: This might be nonsense. Talk to some of you folks 7 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 2: not from the South, the Southern climbs here around Atlanta, Georgia. 8 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 2: But we're talking about waffle house ordering code. 9 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: So you're Noel Brown, I'm Ben Bullen, And actually I 10 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: just landed in a different city this week and I 11 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: was looking for or a waffle house because I thought 12 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,039 Speaker 1: it would be fun to visit before we record. There 13 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,839 Speaker 1: are no waffle houses in the state of New York, 14 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: but Pennsylvania you can have a few. And that makes 15 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: sense to your point about the line of demarcation, because 16 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania is somewhere between the South and somewhere between the north. 17 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, he's sort of like partially basically Canada. I mean, 18 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 2: I think instead of waffle house, did don't they have 19 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 2: Timmy's Tim Horton's Pennsylvania. I think it's true yeah, I 20 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 2: loves Tim Hortons. 21 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,639 Speaker 1: It's a confluence of events and so cast your memory back, folks. 22 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: We've alluded to this a while ago, but we went 23 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: through a collective waffle House phase I think, I want 24 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: to say sometime last year, and we actually went to 25 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: the waffle House Museum. Because waffle House was founded in 26 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: our fair metropolis of Atlanta, Georgia, but now it's it's 27 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: world famous, I think in large part due to the Internet. 28 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 2: To be honest, it's true. It is. Also we've talked 29 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 2: about this on our sister show, The Stuff that I 30 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 2: want you to know. The waffle House Index, the sort 31 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 2: of somewhat imaginary concept that if waffle houses closed their doors, 32 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 2: because they are in fact open twenty four hours a day, 33 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 2: then the weather really must be bad. Yeah. Yeah. 34 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 1: Waffle House is known for its storied history for being 35 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: virtually always open, and it's a very accepting place. I 36 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: think it's fair to say. Having spent some time in 37 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: the American South, all three of us, we have spent 38 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: some very formative evenings at waffle House. This is why 39 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 1: we finally reached out to Big Waffle ourselves. Lo and behold, 40 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: they hit us back. They couldn't be nicer people. They 41 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: gave us an exclusive tour of the museum. We decided 42 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: we were going to finally share the story. But quick disclaimer, 43 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 1: this one's probably going to make you hungry. I think 44 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: this is going to be one of those where you 45 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: and I both end the show going is it time 46 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: to eat lunch? 47 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 2: Well, good news, Ben is there's a wa Hoo right 48 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,239 Speaker 2: down the street from me, and they deliver, so I 49 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 2: might even pre order my I like you know what 50 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,519 Speaker 2: I like, Ben, I like the Philly Cheese steak hash 51 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 2: Brown bowl. I'm a fan of that guy. Yeah, that's 52 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 2: a nice one. Man. 53 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: We know that that is a more in the grand scheme. 54 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: That's a more recent addition to the menu, because as 55 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: we saw when you, Max and I journey to the museum, 56 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 1: their menus still add all the same basics, but they 57 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: started adding stuff. They didn't originally have the hash brown 58 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: code until much later because they you know, waffle House 59 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: was founded in nineteen fifty five. 60 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 2: That's right, and we'll get to the individual meanings of 61 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 2: those hash brown order codes. But that's right in Avondale Estates, 62 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 2: which is like the next exit over. Not to dox myself, 63 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 2: from where I live. It is a really delightful little 64 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 2: community to this day, where there's a lot of fun 65 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 2: little shops. It kind of feels like a little German 66 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 2: village in some ways. 67 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, they tried to. It's it's a super weird pocket. 68 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: They used to live very close to there. And the 69 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: thing is, folks, when you drive past, there's a stretch 70 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: of several blocks in downtown Avondale that were explicitly designed 71 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: to look like Shakespeare's the route to look like Shakespearean times. 72 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 2: I think I might have gotten my European wires crossed. 73 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 2: It is a little bit more like old Stratford upon Avon. 74 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 2: I wonder if that's where avon Dale comes. Who knows. 75 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 2: And maybe it's one of the shicken or the egg 76 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 2: kind of things. Speaking of eggs, the co founders of 77 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 2: waffle House are Joe Rogers Senior and Tom Forkner and Ben. 78 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 2: I got to say a bit of a missed nominative 79 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 2: determinism opportunity for Joe's last name to have not been Spooner. 80 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 2: We could have had Spooner and Forkner the founders of 81 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: waffle House, but the last That's not how history shook out. 82 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 1: Maybe next time rights, It's still not as on the 83 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: nose as their names being like Joe Waffle and Tom 84 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: Syrup or something mm hmm. 85 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 2: Syrup would be an unfortunate surname. We got to look 86 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 2: up the history of the Syrup line of families. Surely 87 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 2: they exist. Tom was a Georgia boy died in the wall. 88 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 2: I think, as they say, through and through, as you 89 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 2: put it in in your wonderful research talk that you 90 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 2: put together for this episode, he was born in Hawkinsville, Georgia, 91 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 2: just about two hours outside of here in Atlanta. And 92 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 2: our buddy Tom, mister Forlkner himself was a lawyer and 93 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 2: a real estate agent and quite the golfer if he 94 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 2: if he said to himself, he did kind of for 95 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 2: a time. Also, Tom was an intelligence officer for the 96 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 2: Manhattan Project record scratch what Okay. I didn't realize we 97 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 2: were going to go nuclear with this waffle house topic. 98 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 2: You never know what you're going to get with ridiculous history. 99 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,839 Speaker 2: So let's go to our second main character today, mister 100 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 2: Joe Rogers, also a veteran born in not not a 101 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 2: george boy, but a Tennessee boy from the hollers of 102 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 2: Jackson Tennessee. During World War Two. He also had he 103 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 2: had a bit of a military background as well, not 104 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 2: an intelligence but in the Air Force, where he flew 105 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 2: B twenty four's for our sorry at the Air Force, 106 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 2: the Air Corps of the US Army. Then in nineteen 107 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 2: forty seven, after spending his time doing his term his 108 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 2: stint in the war, he worked as a short order 109 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 2: cook at a place called the Tottle House. Huh okay, 110 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 2: starting to see old influence here. That's over there in 111 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:38,919 Speaker 2: new Haven, Connecticut. Yeah. 112 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's where he was working at the Tottlehouse in 113 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 1: New Haven. It was also a chain restaurant like waffle 114 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,040 Speaker 1: House would go on to be, and Tottlehouse was based 115 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: in Memphis. Was mainly a takeout joint. So Joe gets 116 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: promoted and promoted because he takes his job seriously. He's 117 00:06:55,200 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: quite talented, and he becomes the regional manager at Top. 118 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: And as he becomes a regional manager, he has to 119 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 1: relocate to Atlanta, Georgia. 120 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 2: That's where he meets Tom. 121 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,679 Speaker 1: And the way they meet is kind of funny because 122 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: Tom doesn't come to him with a business idea. Tom 123 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: sells Joe a house in Avondale, because Tom's dad helped 124 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: create Avondale Estates and not only did he sell the house, 125 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: but they ended up being next door neighbors. I don't 126 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: know if that's something real estate people like to do. 127 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: What that? 128 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 2: Oh? Houses? Well? 129 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, Like if we were real estate moguls, or we 130 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: were real estate folks and we were selling houses to 131 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: other people, would we want to sell a house that's 132 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: right next to the one we live in? Like, do 133 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: you want that neighbor smoke? 134 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 2: Interesting? I guess it does give you a little bit 135 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 2: of an opportunity to pick your neighbors. 136 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 3: To us, I would say no, because I mean, I've 137 00:07:58,200 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 3: never bought a house, but I've rented plenty of houses. 138 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 3: And the thing about it is it doesn't take very 139 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 3: long to start finding small little problems. And so do 140 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 3: you want to walk next door to like, Hey, you 141 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 3: can tell me the foundation of this one part that. 142 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 2: Oh, that's a good point. That's a very good point, 143 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:13,559 Speaker 2: you might Yeah, Well, you know that's we're only talking 144 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 2: here about dishonest trailers. So presumably our buddy here was 145 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 2: the salt of the earth when it comes to his 146 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 2: business practices. 147 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: I would like to I would like to as well. 148 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: I mean they clear that. 149 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 2: We don't know for sure. 150 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: Well they did at some point, at least for a 151 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: time click because they would shoot the breeze with each 152 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: other because you know, they're neighbors and it's the South. 153 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: Tom comes to Tom is like our idea guy. So 154 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: he goes to Joe one day and he says, Joe, 155 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: do you want to get into business? Do you want 156 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: to like escalate our neighbor relationship? And at first Tom says, 157 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: I think we should build a Tottle House, you know, 158 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: here in Avondale, And Joe said, that's I love your enthusiasm, Tom, 159 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: but I don't think it's smart of us to build 160 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: a tottle House because that's a takeout place. My dream 161 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: is a place where people can sit down and eat, not. 162 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 2: Just community you want to build. Yes, Can I just 163 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 2: really a quick aside maybe for another episode. I was 164 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 2: looking up to see if the Tottle House was still around, 165 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 2: which it is not in terms of this original chain 166 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 2: that we're talking about, But there was another place called 167 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 2: the Tottle House, which was a very seedy and steamy 168 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 2: nightclub in Culver City that operated from nineteen forty six 169 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 2: to nineteen fifty three until it was shut down for 170 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 2: being a hangout for racketeers and sex workers. And it 171 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 2: has some really kind of tawdry advertisements that would run 172 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 2: in like the La Times, for example, And there was 173 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 2: this really cool article that described the scene in Fortnite 174 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:52,079 Speaker 2: magazine called the Los Angeles Bump and Grind Industry. How 175 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 2: wicked is burlesque? Is it really harming anyone not to 176 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:59,719 Speaker 2: mention an advertorial in the Vanguard describing the scene as 177 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 2: girl Rolls Up Poppin' as a floor show with comedian 178 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 2: and a bevy of beauties who really keep things popping 179 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:08,959 Speaker 2: and a variety of potent cocktails served at the mirrored 180 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 2: bar of the Tottle House, with lots of convenient free 181 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 2: parking too, by the way, So it's totally different Touttlehouse. 182 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 2: But I'm curious as what kind of racketeers were hanging out, Oh, definitely, 183 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 2: and what year? What time span was that again forty six, 184 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 2: two fifty three when it was closed down, And it 185 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 2: also apparently had two serious fires and all kinds of 186 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 2: shenanigans happening at the Tottlehouse over there in Culver City. 187 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 2: But the Tuttlehouse in question for today's episode was a 188 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 2: wholesome place for a family meal. But to your point, Ben, 189 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 2: they didn't have to sit down service. 190 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 1: And also I just I had to do it. Look 191 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: up the definition of tottle and it works for both places. Well, 192 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:52,439 Speaker 1: it works more for the cdy place because the definition 193 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: of tottle is to move with short, unsteady steps while 194 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 1: learning to walk like a child. 195 00:10:58,480 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 2: Bit of a show. 196 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, so maybe if people are in their cups and 197 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: their party, maybe they end up toddling. 198 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 2: Out the toddlers. Yes, child who can yeah barely walk. 199 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 2: That's there you go. Never thought of the etymology of 200 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:18,320 Speaker 2: that mystery solved, Ben, So what did they decide when 201 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 2: they realized that maybe bringing a franchise of the Tottle 202 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 2: House wasn't quite the move? 203 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, they got even more ambitious. You could feel 204 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 1: the electric brainstorming energy because these guys yes ed each 205 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: other so hard. They said, okay, all right, forget Tottlehouse, 206 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: will open up our own place. Anybody can come, they 207 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: could sit down, they can have decent food, and you 208 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: know what, yes, and why don't we stay open all 209 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 1: of the time? 210 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 2: Okay? The game there, Yeah, quite the quite the novelty, 211 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 2: I suppose maybe there were in the twenty four seven 212 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 2: places at the time, but this certainly would set it 213 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 2: apart from the Tottle House, which I do I believe 214 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 2: operated on a twenty four to seven schedule. So Tom 215 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,840 Speaker 2: recalled in an interview piece, we'recalling this whole you know, 216 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 2: origin story, Joe saying the ham you build the restaurant, buddy, 217 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 2: and I'll show you how to run it. 218 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: There we go, And that's that's a very common symbiosis 219 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,840 Speaker 1: between restaurant creators. You've got sort of the money guy, 220 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: the funding, and then you've got the person who's been 221 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: in the trenches of the kitchen, the chef and so on. 222 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: And this was such a revolutionary idea. We've been spoiled, 223 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: especially before the COVID lockdown. We've been spoiled by having 224 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: so many twenty four hour places. But back at this time, 225 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: when these guys are brainstorming, the majority of restaurants or heck, 226 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 1: businesses in general, they had strict hours. So if you're 227 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,840 Speaker 1: hungry on a holiday or late at night, you were 228 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 1: kind of sol until something opened. 229 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 2: So while we don't necessarily have evidence that this is 230 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 2: the very very very first of its kind in terms 231 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 2: of like a twenty four hour you know, grub joint. 232 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 2: It's definitely a big deal. You're absolutely right, Ben, And 233 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,320 Speaker 2: the proof would in fact be in the pudding and 234 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 2: or the delightful the fluffy waffle batter. The very first 235 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 2: waffle house opened on a holiday Labor Day weekend nineteen 236 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 2: fifty five, when Tom and Joe welcome folks into their 237 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 2: original location over there in Avondale's States, which I believe 238 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 2: now is the site of the very museum that we 239 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 2: toured twenty seven nineteen East College and Ben, both you 240 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 2: and I for the longest time had driven by that place, 241 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 2: and we're curious as to why, you know, you couldn't 242 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 2: just walk in, And it does turn out that you 243 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:40,680 Speaker 2: do need to. You know, you gotta know somebody. They don't. 244 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 2: You can't just walk in. You got to have a 245 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 2: guy on the inside. 246 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,679 Speaker 1: Right right, You do have to be proactive. And we 247 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:49,439 Speaker 1: had driven past this for years and years, so when 248 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: we're getting ready to do this episode, we finally did 249 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 1: reach out. And it was a little bit odd for 250 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 1: us to explain it first, to say, hey, you're not 251 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: a school that wants to bring a class here. We're 252 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: three guys who to a podcast live in the neighborhood. 253 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: Please hang out with. 254 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 2: Us, and we are just you know, fans of the place. 255 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 2: It is good food, you know, it's consistent is the 256 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 2: hash Browns are pretty fantastic frankly, and we are not 257 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 2: being sponsored by waffle House here. But they painted the 258 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 2: building a bright yellow hue to catch the eye. And 259 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 2: as we also know in some of our discussions here 260 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 2: on ridiculous history and on stuff they don't want you 261 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 2: to know, yellow is a color that does make people hungry. 262 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 2: Hence the golden arches. 263 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: Yes, that is absolutely true, Nol. And these guys are 264 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: Tom and Joe. They're a perfect marriage of collaboration because 265 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: from the moment they opened, they were keeping close track 266 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: of what the customers seemed to want. So they looked back. 267 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: They were always sort of recalculating stuff. So they look 268 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: back at their first menu and said, all right, we 269 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 1: had sixteen things available, but there was one clear popular choice. 270 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: Everybody loved the waffles. So we said, we're going to 271 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 1: name ourselves after the most successful thing, waffle house. We'll 272 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: just call it that because that's why people are obviously coming. 273 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 1: And you heard that, right, folks. That means they opened 274 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 1: the restaurant before they named it. 275 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 2: How about that? How does that even work? It's just 276 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 2: the yellow building for a second. I'm okay with that. 277 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 2: You know, that's pretty genius. Actually, the restaurant with no name, 278 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 2: it is just a color sort of like prints, you know, 279 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 2: being a symbol. I think that's pretty pretty incredible. No, 280 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 2: the waffle house, you know, not to mention that it 281 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 2: certainly bore a slight resemblance to the tottle house at least, 282 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 2: and it's you know, double consonant kind of middle section there, 283 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 2: and it's just fun to say waffle house, not to 284 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 2: mention that it set it apart from all of the 285 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 2: pancake houses that were much more features in the country. 286 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: And also a little peak behind the curtain. Tom would 287 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 1: later say in other interviews, right as the company continued 288 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: to grow, he would provide a spin on this narrative, 289 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: on this origin story, and he said, I wanted to 290 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: call it waffle house because it was also the item 291 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: that made the most profit for us. 292 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 2: Like per dish, they made a splash of batter in 293 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 2: that waffle iron to get you a nice, crispy, delightful confection. 294 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 2: I can imagine the margins are pretty good in terms 295 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 2: of favoring the proprietors there. 296 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, like a pizza place or popcorn at a theater. Right, 297 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: they're very high margins on it. So this is the 298 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: weird thing. It's not an immediate runway hit, despite the 299 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: fact that waffle house is globally known today and much 300 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 1: beloved in the United States. Joe was a double agent 301 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: at this point because he was still working in Toddlehouse management. 302 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 2: I thought he's going to say he was still working 303 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 2: for the Manhattan Project. He was like a secret spy. 304 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 2: That would be cool. That would have been cool, right, 305 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 2: Project Operation Waffle. So, dude, I can't believe there's not 306 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 2: like a government op called Project Waffle or Operation Waff. 307 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 3: There has to be, and we don't know, I mean, 308 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 3: we don't know what all hasn't been released. 309 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 2: It's true, and we always joke on stuff that. I 310 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 2: want you to know that the more innocuous the name, 311 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:21,439 Speaker 2: the more the more sinister of the project. Right, Like, so, 312 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:24,719 Speaker 2: what does Project Waffle do by day device? 313 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:29,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a bioweapon doom state device. Well, okay, because 314 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: Joe was worried about conflicts of interest, he sold his 315 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,399 Speaker 1: share of the restaurant to his buddy Tom in nineteen 316 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: fifty six, just after a year after they had opened, 317 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: and Joe moved away from Atlanta for a while. A 318 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 1: lot of people didn't know this. He asked the folks 319 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: at Toddle House to make him a straight up partner, 320 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:53,439 Speaker 1: so no longer regional manager. Give me some equity in this. 321 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:58,640 Speaker 1: They said no, and so Joe moved back to Atlanta 322 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:03,160 Speaker 1: and joined back up Toll and then Tom eventually leaves 323 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,439 Speaker 1: his dad's real estate business. Now they're both one hundred 324 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,159 Speaker 1: percent committed to waffle House, so it better work or 325 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:11,160 Speaker 1: they're in trouble. 326 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 2: Ben, If we may, could we take a quick pause 327 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 2: in our overarching story of the history of the waffle 328 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 2: house to talk a little bit about the history of 329 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 2: the waffle because not only was it sort of a 330 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 2: unique differentiator of a putting waffle right there in the 331 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:34,240 Speaker 2: name to kind of separate it from the crowd of 332 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 2: pancake houses that had been, you know, hugely popular in 333 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 2: the United States, the waffle itself has a really ancient origin, 334 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,160 Speaker 2: as of course the pancake does too. There's a million 335 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,960 Speaker 2: ways of slicing a pancake or making a thing that's 336 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 2: called that could be compared to a pancake. But the 337 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:54,680 Speaker 2: actual waffle dates a lot farther back than I would 338 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 2: have realized. I would have thought it was the humble 339 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:58,960 Speaker 2: Belgian waffle, but it is in fact something that goes 340 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 2: back to ancient Grows around four thousand years ago. 341 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 1: Okay, Now at this point did they have the indentations. 342 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 2: It would seem not. It was cooked on heated stones, 343 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 2: so it was something more rigidly resembling a pancake. But 344 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 2: then during the Iron Age we start to see iron 345 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 2: cookware and iron plates and griddles that were used on 346 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 2: both sides of these Sometimes these created these little indentations 347 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 2: because of the way the metal was forged. And then 348 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 2: you started to get into the much more modern kind 349 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:41,359 Speaker 2: of version of a waffle that we know today, when 350 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:45,680 Speaker 2: you had these irons that were forged with these literal 351 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:49,200 Speaker 2: you know, extrusions on them that would make the squares 352 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 2: that obviously just really make that butter and syrup just 353 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 2: just really hang on cling on to every binding, the. 354 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 1: Surface volume, right or the surface area. Excuse me, that's awesome, Joe. 355 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,119 Speaker 1: I'm looking at pictures of this link you sent with 356 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: these old school waffle irons. So we know, I feel 357 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: like we can only really call them a waffle once 358 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: we see those irons, right. 359 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 2: I would agree, And that was that. The eye waffle 360 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 2: iron that we know today was patented in Troy, New 361 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:28,639 Speaker 2: York by a guy named Cornelius swartwout A. What a 362 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 2: fabulous day on August twenty fourth, eighteen sixty nine, which 363 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 2: is actually to this day celebrated as National Waffle Day. 364 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 2: And it wasn't until the nineteen tens that the electric 365 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:44,719 Speaker 2: waffle iron was introduced by General Electric. And then it became, 366 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 2: you know, a staple in kitchens across the country around 367 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:51,439 Speaker 2: the nineteen thirties, and then of course we've got frozen 368 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 2: waffles that come and you know it's game on. That's 369 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 2: in the nineteen fifties, with of course the iconic eggo, 370 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 2: Oh Lego, my EGGA. 371 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 1: I've got some of the in the freezer. And also 372 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 1: if I feel like I'm ever in hot water with 373 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:08,879 Speaker 1: a girlfriend, then I will I will make them homemade waffles. 374 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:11,360 Speaker 1: It is a hack, and it works as long as 375 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 1: you didn't do something too too bad the day before. 376 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 2: Well, it's such a fun thing to do one hundred 377 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:17,920 Speaker 2: percent bad I'm with you, because you can add some 378 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 2: little twists to the batter. Put a little cinnamon in 379 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:23,919 Speaker 2: their little number, you know, add some syrup directly to 380 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 2: the freaking batter, you know, put some fruits inside of there. 381 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 2: Of course, all things you can do with pancakes, But 382 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 2: there is just something about that texture of the waffle 383 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 2: and the way it grips the butter and creates these little, 384 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,440 Speaker 2: you know, beautiful pockets of deliciousness. That kind of that's 385 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 2: the waffle apart for. 386 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 1: Me, and it's so much bang for your buck in 387 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: a culinary sense, especially if you're a restaurant, right, and 388 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 1: these guys in waffle else. Of course, I love that 389 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 1: you're bringing the history of waffles here because it shows 390 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: how much they owe to their predecessors. But they they 391 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:02,159 Speaker 1: had an issue because you could say they overcorrected with 392 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:05,919 Speaker 1: calling it waffle house. They sold other stuff, right, Remember 393 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:09,399 Speaker 1: we were there. We saw what burgers and there was 394 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: a t bone steak that was I think their most 395 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 1: expensive item. 396 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,399 Speaker 2: We may not have mentioned this that the way the 397 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:19,400 Speaker 2: waffle House Museum, located in that og waffle House location 398 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 2: is set up is to resemble the original layouts and 399 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,719 Speaker 2: including up to and including the original menus. And it's 400 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 2: of course one of the fun things to see in 401 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:30,960 Speaker 2: places like that is the like t bone steak that 402 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 2: cost like no defense or something. I mean, it wasn't 403 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 2: nine cents, but it was. I think the most expensive 404 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 2: item was still less than a buck. I want to say, 405 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 2: I want to say, you're right, Yeah, I think it 406 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:42,919 Speaker 2: was less than a dollar. And okay. 407 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: Also in these early days, when they're saying crap, we 408 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: have to somehow convey to people that they can buy 409 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: things that aren't just waffles. As they're fighting through this stuff, 410 00:22:56,280 --> 00:23:00,679 Speaker 1: they're also respectfully disagreeing or skeptical about some of the 411 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 1: other guy's ideas. Joe's pitch of a restaurant that never 412 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:09,639 Speaker 1: ever closes privately seemed insane to Tom, because at this 413 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:13,680 Speaker 1: time there was maybe like one other joint in all 414 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: of Atlanta that was open all night, maybe a couple right, 415 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 1: maybe the Majestic or something, but we haven't checked that 416 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:21,120 Speaker 1: out yet. 417 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:25,919 Speaker 2: Joe justic being a cool, vintagey diner type place on 418 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 2: Ponce delay on near the also incredibly vintage and wonderful 419 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 2: movie theater, the Plaza. And I'm pretty sure there's there's 420 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 2: definitely a lot of cool history behind both of those 421 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:38,680 Speaker 2: locations that maybe we could talk about on another episode 422 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 2: one day. That'd be cool. 423 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,960 Speaker 1: Maybe we can, maybe we can pitch ourselves to Majestic 424 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 1: and get like free breakfast. 425 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 2: I really like their ero. 426 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, you're I mean, I'm not to 427 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,239 Speaker 1: doc to myself too much, but you know, I live 428 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: very close to that area, and so I would say 429 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: the euro is just phenomenal. 430 00:23:59,040 --> 00:23:59,399 Speaker 2: Solid. 431 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: Only complaint is that post the lockdown, they are no 432 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: longer twenty four hours. 433 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:08,000 Speaker 2: Well, you know, it's a hard gig, not only for 434 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:11,960 Speaker 2: the management, but god for the employees. I mean, working 435 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,679 Speaker 2: those split shifts or whatever you call them, those overnight shifts. 436 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 2: That that is quite the slog. But waffle House managed 437 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:21,119 Speaker 2: to do it despite some of the naysayers. Joe stuck 438 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 2: to his guns and reminded Tom that the Interstates were 439 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,879 Speaker 2: a big part of his business plan, motorists traveling in 440 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 2: all hours of the night, not to mention truckers. 441 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:37,120 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, oh yeah, man, And he was spot on. 442 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 1: He did manage to convince Tom that this was if 443 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: it was a gamble, which it was, it was a 444 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: worthwhile gamble. He said, you know, hungry folks exist all 445 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 1: the time, and if we're the only people that can 446 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: feed them, then we're the only people they'll go to. 447 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 2: Well, as you know, Ben, you've got to eat right. Yes. Sorry, 448 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:01,320 Speaker 2: We just always harp on that it's such a lackluster 449 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 2: tagline for the little restaurant chained Checkers, because it's just 450 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 2: the lowest common denominator of like, you know, you know, 451 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,679 Speaker 2: you gotta eat something, it might as well be this trash. 452 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:13,439 Speaker 2: It never promises quality. It doesn't say it's the best 453 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 2: burger or the best fries. That's that being said. I 454 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,479 Speaker 2: do like a Checker burger and rallies the same, are 455 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 2: they want to It's sort of like Carls Junior and 456 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:24,160 Speaker 2: car Hardy. Yeah yeah, the other region. 457 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, the regional, but the money still goes to the guys. 458 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 2: And speaking of the regional thing, there is a reason 459 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 2: that a lot of that rebranding happens, right, like just things, 460 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 2: people get used to certain things in certain parts of 461 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 2: the country. And there's probably also a reason that waffle 462 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 2: House isn't exactly on every street corner in every state 463 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 2: in the Union, because there are equivalents that are more 464 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 2: popular in other parts of the country, just like we 465 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 2: don't get in and out Burger here because they want 466 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 2: to keep all of their restaurants as close as possible 467 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 2: to their distribution hubs so they never have to, you know, 468 00:25:57,400 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 2: freeze the meat, which I can respect, but boil boy 469 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:00,720 Speaker 2: would I eleven in and out? 470 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: Or how Chick fil A doesn't go to every place where. 471 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: You know, especially when you're traveling abroad, folks, you will 472 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 1: be surprised by the fast food stuff from the United 473 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 1: States that we take as normal becomes phenomenally, phenomenally important. 474 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: I'm trying to remember which airport it was in which country, 475 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 1: but there was like one Popeyes and it was always 476 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,919 Speaker 1: crowded because people had read about it on Instagram or 477 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: TikTok or something. 478 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 2: Dude, I remember when Popey said that viral chicken sandwich. 479 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 2: People were like yeah and each other over. Yes, it 480 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 2: was admittedly a very good chicken sandwich. I was kind 481 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:42,280 Speaker 2: of good with the hype. Oh sure, yeah, I don't 482 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 2: think it needed to be a culture war, but it 483 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,679 Speaker 2: wasn't an amazing sandwich. Few things do, man, few things do. 484 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: So Okay, now it's nineteen sixty. Wafflause has survived. It's expanded. 485 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 1: There are four different locations around the Atlanta metro area, 486 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 1: and now they say we're gonna up the gas on 487 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: our expansion. In a very real way. They choose to franchise, right, 488 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:09,880 Speaker 1: So their vision at this point is inspired by other 489 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:14,399 Speaker 1: outfits like McDonald's. By the late nineteen sixties, the same 490 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:16,720 Speaker 1: decade they've got twenty seven waffle. 491 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:20,879 Speaker 2: Houses, twenty seven waffle houses. Moving into the seventies, they 492 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:25,119 Speaker 2: up that number significantly to four hundred, and by the 493 00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:29,399 Speaker 2: time Joe and Tom had passed away in twenty seventeen, 494 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 2: you would see fifteen hundred locations as of now, wouldn't 495 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 2: we sit here speaking to you twenty twenty six. Actually, 496 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 2: well they may, I don't know, who knows. They may 497 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 2: have opened a few. The status from August of twenty 498 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 2: twenty five, you're going to see two thousand and thirty 499 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 2: eight waffle houses across only twenty five states. That's only 500 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:49,440 Speaker 2: about half of the states, and the majority of them 501 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,160 Speaker 2: are still located in Georgia. So there is that kind 502 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 2: of regional flare. And I'm sure they're doing their market 503 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:57,720 Speaker 2: research and figuring out where where to put the other 504 00:27:57,760 --> 00:27:59,440 Speaker 2: ones and being smart about it. Other if a lot 505 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 2: of Ohio, I want to say. 506 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:03,919 Speaker 1: I would have said, look, yeah, they follow the interstates. 507 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:06,919 Speaker 1: I would imagine that's a well points. So if we 508 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:12,360 Speaker 1: go to wafflehouse dot com, there is a map and there, yeah, okay, 509 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:17,920 Speaker 1: so there's fifteen in Arizona, one in all of New Mexico, 510 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:23,360 Speaker 1: ten in Colorado, four in Texas. Well, actually, no, there's 511 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: Texas is like such a country unto itself. You got 512 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,400 Speaker 1: sixty eight and more central Texas, and then only four 513 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:33,160 Speaker 1: in northern Texas. Uh, thirty seventy in Arkansas, thirty seven 514 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:36,280 Speaker 1: in Missouri, and again one hundred and fifty two in 515 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,680 Speaker 1: what is that? Yeah, that's Kentucky, which makes sense. And 516 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,480 Speaker 1: then yeah, one thousand and ten here in Georgia and 517 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty seven in Florida. So still quite 518 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 1: a few places in the country that are not going 519 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:52,720 Speaker 1: to know much about it. Woho apparently, yeah, and a 520 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 1: get like we were saying there, there is some slow 521 00:28:55,160 --> 00:29:00,240 Speaker 1: expansion into other states like Pennsylvania. Well we'll see, we'll 522 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: see why as well. People want to go to a 523 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 1: waffle house now, even if they don't particularly consider themselves 524 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: waffle fans, and it's because this has evolved past the 525 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 1: idea of comfort food to a kind of legend. It's 526 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 1: something you read about, it's something you hear about, and 527 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 1: you know you'll see all those breathless headlines of crazy 528 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,520 Speaker 1: things happening in the waffle house, and then you'll see 529 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:29,960 Speaker 1: I most recently saw a guy from New Zealand who 530 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 1: traveled to the United States to try waffle House. 531 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 2: It is a bit of a fascination for some folks. 532 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 2: I totally feel you in a similar way that In 533 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 2: and Out is for us here on the East Coast, 534 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 2: and I will argue and die on the hill that 535 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 2: it is a very good burger, the old in and 536 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:56,920 Speaker 2: out burger. Ben we haven't We're going to talk about 537 00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 2: a lot of this lore. I would love to just 538 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 2: lead off with something that I think is a has 539 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 2: been a fascination to us, is that waffle House has 540 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 2: its own in house record label and populates, or at 541 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 2: least it's a bummer because a lot of the jukeboxes 542 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:12,200 Speaker 2: are now touchtoons machines, the digital ones, but back in 543 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:15,840 Speaker 2: the day, it was always the old, you know, jukebox 544 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 2: machines where you had the little little tiles or what 545 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 2: do you call little labels with A side and a 546 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 2: B side, and they produce their own tunes, songs like 547 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 2: there are Raisins in My Toast by Danny Jones, grill 548 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 2: operator and Bert referring to the titular Burt of Burt's Chili, 549 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 2: I think the chilies, which goes on the hash Browns 550 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 2: and so on. That's right. Yeah, And they did, unfortunately 551 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:44,320 Speaker 2: league up with touch tunes in recent years, and I 552 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 2: don't fully support that move. 553 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 1: Ben, Yeah, I mean maybe we're all becoming increasingly Curmudgeonally. 554 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 1: I am not the biggest fan of touch tunes replacing 555 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 1: old school jukeboxes, but so it goes. There's another there's 556 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 1: another legend dairy thing here, which is the idea that 557 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: waffle house doesn't have locks. 558 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,840 Speaker 2: On the restaurant. I remember that one. I remember believing 559 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:15,200 Speaker 2: logistically it doesn't make much sense. Now surely they even 560 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:17,560 Speaker 2: if they're open, why they're open all the time? Why 561 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,600 Speaker 2: do they that's some sort they gotta close down occasionally 562 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 2: to do cleanings perhaps, or you know, or whatever it 563 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 2: might be. Yeah, that's what we're gonna talk about. The 564 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:28,320 Speaker 2: waffle House index. 565 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:32,080 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, this one should be familiar to every 566 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:36,440 Speaker 1: fellow child of the South. It's our favorite lore. It's 567 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: similar to the Pentagon Pizza Index. The Pentagon Pizza Index 568 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 1: argues that you can predict US military action by seeing 569 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,840 Speaker 1: how many pizzas get ordered in parts of the DC 570 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 1: area in Virginia. And we talked about that on stuff 571 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 1: they don't want you to do as well, and h 572 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,640 Speaker 1: here's the here's the bitch, you know it, you love it. 573 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: Since waffle House never closes, FEMA judges how bad a 574 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 1: nash disaster is based on whether or not waffle houses 575 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 1: in the area are still open. 576 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 2: Okay, Well, first of all, as we've just laid out 577 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:11,280 Speaker 2: with our rundown of the waffle House map, there are 578 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 2: nearly enough of them evenly distributed across the country for 579 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:17,880 Speaker 2: that to make any kind of sense. That's a great point. 580 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 2: That's a great point. 581 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: Right, So, something goes wrong in a state without a 582 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:26,680 Speaker 1: waffle house, what does FEMA do? We do kind of 583 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:30,320 Speaker 1: have the answer. There's an excellent Snopes article about this 584 00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 1: that quotes some interviews from other journalists and even the 585 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 1: former FEMA director. They say that waffle House is a 586 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:44,440 Speaker 1: test for US. It's unofficial, but we do use it 587 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 1: when we can because it tells us how quickly a 588 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 1: business might rebound. So this comes from W. Craig Fugate, 589 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:55,440 Speaker 1: who is the former FEMA director, and he says the 590 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 1: success of the private sector and preparing for weathering disasters. 591 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:00,200 Speaker 2: Teaches us us. 592 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 1: It's a temperature check for how the rest of the 593 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 1: community is doing. And even though it's not official, guess 594 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:09,720 Speaker 1: FEMA does check in on waft Louse whenever stuff goes wrong, 595 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: but they also check in on other businesses of course, 596 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 1: not just Waftleuse. It's also like home depot or lows 597 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:17,720 Speaker 1: or whatever. 598 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, it makes sense. So Snopes, the conspiracy theory debunkers 599 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 2: long standing operation there who are big fans of had 600 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 2: this to say. These companies have taken necessary steps to prepare. 601 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 2: These companies have good risk management plans to ensure their 602 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 2: stores continue to operate when a disaster strikes, and also 603 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:39,959 Speaker 2: provide basic supplies to people in their community. So they 604 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 2: are looking at es central type of operations and judging, 605 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:47,360 Speaker 2: you know, how bad things are based on the ability 606 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:50,720 Speaker 2: of these companies who have taken great lengths to be 607 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:54,680 Speaker 2: as available as possible during times of crisis. You know, 608 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 2: it's probably a good a good bell weather. 609 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, in places like gas stations. Course now they think 610 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: about it. Hospitals, those are two hugely important things. They 611 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 1: are essential services, and there's so much more we wanted 612 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 1: to get to folks. We're so happy we were able 613 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:14,799 Speaker 1: to touch on the music a little bit before we 614 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 1: before we call it a day and grab a booth 615 00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:21,760 Speaker 1: with you in the future. Max, you had a band 616 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:22,839 Speaker 1: you wanted to shout out. 617 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:25,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was the band that I saw open for 618 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 3: Brian Fallon, lead singer of Gaslight Anthem, a couple of 619 00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:30,239 Speaker 3: years ago. The name of the band is the Warriors, 620 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 3: but like worry like as I'm worrying and oh not. 621 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 2: Like Warriors come out and play yang, Oh my gosh, 622 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:39,840 Speaker 2: why haven't you called exactly they're worrying. 623 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:42,880 Speaker 3: But the lead singer, they were up on stage and 624 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,360 Speaker 3: right before they started the song, was like, actually, I'm wondering, 625 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 3: Like whenever we play a song back up in Pennsylvania 626 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:49,640 Speaker 3: where they're from, people don't really know what we're talking about. 627 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:52,600 Speaker 3: But the name of this song is the saddest little 628 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:55,839 Speaker 3: waffle house in eastern Pennsylvania. And everyone started laughing and 629 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:59,080 Speaker 3: they go, yeah, that's been a report. When in the 630 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:00,759 Speaker 3: South everyone gets and up north. 631 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:04,840 Speaker 2: No one understands this They referring to a specific little 632 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 2: straggler of a waffle house that exists there, or is 633 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:08,600 Speaker 2: it more of a. 634 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 3: It's it's I mean, I don't even know how much 635 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:13,040 Speaker 3: the song is really about waffle house per se, but 636 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:16,600 Speaker 3: it's just like that idea of that sad waffle house, 637 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 3: that last beach head is that one thing open in 638 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 3: eastern Pennsylvania that's just there. 639 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 2: Also kind of a reference to the best little whorehouse 640 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 2: in Texas very much. 641 00:35:26,239 --> 00:35:31,239 Speaker 1: Exactly, or the what's that the Mountain Goat song the 642 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 1: best death. 643 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:34,120 Speaker 2: The best ever death metal band out of Dent. Yes, 644 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:37,560 Speaker 2: check out our sister podcast, Stuffy It Want You to 645 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 2: Know for an exploration literally figuratively of the underground bunkers 646 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:42,440 Speaker 2: of Denton. 647 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:46,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and a random fact for you folks. Back in 648 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:49,840 Speaker 1: two thousand and five, two percent of all eggs produced 649 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: in the United States ended up at a waffle house. 650 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 1: So it's we're not blowing rainbows. 651 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 2: It is a big deal for sure. And can we 652 00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:01,520 Speaker 2: also just shout out to short order cooks and and 653 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:04,040 Speaker 2: and it is such a tight operation that they run 654 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:06,120 Speaker 2: there at these wabble houses. They've got an open kitchen, 655 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:08,880 Speaker 2: there's no f and around. You know, you can't be 656 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 2: just goofing off in a waffle house kitchen because the 657 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:15,000 Speaker 2: all eyes are on you and those eggs are kept 658 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:18,319 Speaker 2: in these cool like wire bins on top of the thing. 659 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:21,759 Speaker 2: They're just you know, chock full, overflowing with eggs. And 660 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 2: I've very rarely had Yeah, certainly, I think we've all 661 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:29,920 Speaker 2: probably had some interesting experiences at waffle house. That's usually 662 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:31,520 Speaker 2: as a result of the patrons. 663 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:34,960 Speaker 1: It's I would say, pretty much always is the result 664 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:35,760 Speaker 1: of the patriots. 665 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,880 Speaker 2: And when I say, I'm talking about drunken nighttime shenaniganry, 666 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:41,200 Speaker 2: but or like kid Rock. 667 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,560 Speaker 3: Have you have you guys seen the SNL waffle House catch? 668 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:47,319 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, I've. 669 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 3: Watched it all kind of like this is, uh, this 670 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:51,680 Speaker 3: is actually kind of spot on. I mean, it's not 671 00:36:51,719 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 3: every time you go to waffle house, but everyone's been 672 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:55,040 Speaker 3: a waffle house at that time for sure. 673 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:56,840 Speaker 2: And much like you know, you see all these Florida 674 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:59,920 Speaker 2: man stories because of the way that Florida publish it, 675 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 2: you know, the mugshots and all that stuff. The Sunshine 676 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:05,239 Speaker 2: laws make it easier for that stuff to go out 677 00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:07,000 Speaker 2: into the public record. I think when you have a 678 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:10,400 Speaker 2: twenty four hour joint like waffle House that's so accessible, 679 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:15,480 Speaker 2: you're gonna get some crazy videos that come out all spots, 680 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:17,560 Speaker 2: and I think we've all seen them. But nine times 681 00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:22,080 Speaker 2: out of ten, it's the staff reacting sharply and decisively 682 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:26,120 Speaker 2: and professionally and you know, keeping people safe. So I 683 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:28,319 Speaker 2: really shout out to you know, all of the folks 684 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:30,440 Speaker 2: that work at these places. 685 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:34,080 Speaker 1: Just absolute legends when it comes to diplomacy and when 686 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:36,279 Speaker 1: it comes to empathy, and I'll say when it comes 687 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 1: to drawing hard boundaries. 688 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:40,799 Speaker 2: We and we we did promise a little bit of 689 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 2: a inside of the code of ordering hash Brown. I 690 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:47,200 Speaker 2: think I want to hear what each of our orders 691 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:52,040 Speaker 2: would be. But smothered is, of course cheese, No saute 692 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 2: onions would be yeah, coverared is of course just a 693 00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:02,359 Speaker 2: good old American cheese products right, melted over the top. 694 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:07,200 Speaker 1: We've got wood, which is grilled hickory smoked ham. 695 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:14,640 Speaker 2: Right. We have peppered which is jalapinos, So the heat 696 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:17,800 Speaker 2: seekers out there, that's the easiest one to guess, filpino 697 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:19,600 Speaker 2: pepper on there. What else we got We got. 698 00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:22,239 Speaker 1: Diced, which would be grilled tomatoes, capped, which would be 699 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:23,480 Speaker 1: grilled mushrooms. 700 00:38:24,040 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 2: And you know it's interesting. I don't usually like canned mushrooms, 701 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 2: but in this particular situation they hit. I always get 702 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:34,160 Speaker 2: them capped, and they are definitely canned mushrooms. But I 703 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:40,239 Speaker 2: am a smothered, covered, peppered, capped kind of guy, and 704 00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:42,320 Speaker 2: I like to get a double order. Wi. You mentioned. 705 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,440 Speaker 1: You can also get Topped, which uses their Bert's chili 706 00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:49,480 Speaker 1: Bert's Chili. You can get Country, which is sausage gravy. 707 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:52,000 Speaker 1: That's one of the newer ones because on the menu 708 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:55,560 Speaker 1: they're named in the Order of Discovery, And this was 709 00:38:55,600 --> 00:38:58,840 Speaker 1: an organic idea that came from the short order cooks 710 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:01,919 Speaker 1: themselves cool when they have friends come over or when 711 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:04,520 Speaker 1: they were making something, they would be like, oh, I 712 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:08,120 Speaker 1: know Jeremy, Jeremy loves mushrooms, so I'll just put some 713 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:12,759 Speaker 1: in his hash brown. Eventually they started codifying. 714 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:15,120 Speaker 2: Sure and we love a secret menu item too, or 715 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 2: like a secret you know, like a again. Shout out 716 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 2: to In and Out Burger for some of their secret ways, 717 00:39:20,080 --> 00:39:21,840 Speaker 2: animal style and all of that good stuff. How do 718 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:23,239 Speaker 2: you like your hash browns? Ben? 719 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:27,879 Speaker 1: Oh gosh, I'm a wild man, you know. I will 720 00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:32,440 Speaker 1: usually trend for the veggie options with the cheese. What 721 00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:35,799 Speaker 1: about what about umex or the chili chili and cheese. 722 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:40,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, I go with the condition option, right yep, But 723 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:43,640 Speaker 3: traditionally smalled covered and cap would be my go to. 724 00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:47,640 Speaker 2: Yes, a shout out to the condition you bastard will 725 00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:50,719 Speaker 2: get it one day, We'll get it in control. One 726 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:52,560 Speaker 2: day we'll get on the other side of it. 727 00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:55,760 Speaker 1: We also want we should know how we didn't probably 728 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:58,000 Speaker 1: don't have time for the details on this, but there's 729 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:04,200 Speaker 1: also this system that the staff invented regarding how to 730 00:40:04,239 --> 00:40:06,920 Speaker 1: indicate an order. And it's all about the placement of 731 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:11,120 Speaker 1: condiment packages on the tray er on the plate. That's 732 00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:12,759 Speaker 1: how you that's part of how you tell the. 733 00:40:12,719 --> 00:40:15,839 Speaker 2: Cook the thing. Pretty really stuff. Yeah, it's like a 734 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:21,640 Speaker 2: secret code. Interesting okay, And I do want to end 735 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:24,600 Speaker 2: for my part anyway, today's episode with a shout out 736 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:27,879 Speaker 2: to my kid who has figured out how to make 737 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:32,000 Speaker 2: waffle House style hash browns at home. And the key 738 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:35,640 Speaker 2: is a great a nice big old russet potato and 739 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:38,400 Speaker 2: then you need to rinse it to get some of 740 00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:41,120 Speaker 2: the starchy bits off the kind of and then you 741 00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:43,640 Speaker 2: rinse it till the water kind of runs clear, and 742 00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:47,319 Speaker 2: then cook it in a cast iron skillet, press it 743 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:51,359 Speaker 2: in a thin like layer, and then be patient and 744 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:54,880 Speaker 2: then flip it and then you get crispy on both 745 00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:57,920 Speaker 2: sides and it is just as good as at the 746 00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:02,000 Speaker 2: waffle house itself. So that's fun. Well, that's awesome. Yeah, 747 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:04,840 Speaker 2: flip is the most satisfying thing oh one could ever 748 00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:06,600 Speaker 2: ask for. Uh. 749 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:09,200 Speaker 1: They also just you know, folks, to the good people 750 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:12,480 Speaker 1: at waffle House serve right now something like one hundred 751 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:15,360 Speaker 1: and forty five waffles per minute, three hundred and forty 752 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:18,680 Speaker 1: one bacon strips per minute, so that, oh what, two 753 00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:22,000 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty orders of hash brouts every sixty seconds. 754 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:23,279 Speaker 2: So that means. 755 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:26,680 Speaker 1: Every year waffle House serves enough bacon to fully wrap 756 00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:29,120 Speaker 1: around the earth, or to wrap around it in a line, 757 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:31,400 Speaker 1: not to encase it, but to circumnavigate it. 758 00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:34,839 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, bacon around the earth. That's just that. If 759 00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:36,480 Speaker 2: that's not peace, I don't know what is. 760 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:40,160 Speaker 1: And therey Avid, folks, thanks is always so much for 761 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:44,200 Speaker 1: tuning in big things. To our super producer, mister Max Williams, 762 00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:48,200 Speaker 1: I wonder what Jonathan Strickland, aka the quizz Or would 763 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:49,799 Speaker 1: order at waffle House. 764 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:53,520 Speaker 2: And I'm gonna argue just playing. He's just a plain 765 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:54,960 Speaker 2: hash hash He's kind of got. 766 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:58,239 Speaker 3: He's such a villain that he probably boardcosts waffle House. 767 00:41:58,239 --> 00:41:59,919 Speaker 3: He's probably the one person in this world who doesn't. 768 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:02,920 Speaker 2: He also gets his t bone well done the mad 769 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:06,000 Speaker 2: man or he and he doesn't even eat it because 770 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,000 Speaker 2: he doesn't eat beef. That's true. 771 00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:10,640 Speaker 1: If he looks, he looks down his nose and it's 772 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:14,280 Speaker 1: getting Maybe he's one of those Actually, have you guys 773 00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:15,880 Speaker 1: heard of Toddlehouse people? 774 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:18,240 Speaker 2: Just insufferable? 775 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:21,640 Speaker 1: We're kidding, Jonathan, You're a three out of five guy 776 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:22,240 Speaker 1: in our book. 777 00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:26,280 Speaker 2: Big thanks to who else still? Who are Chris Rasiota's 778 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:30,120 Speaker 2: news Jeff Coats here in spirit, Alex Williams, who composed 779 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:34,799 Speaker 2: this slapping track that I wish it belongs on waffle House. 780 00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:37,279 Speaker 2: Chupboxes bring back the old school chetboxes. 781 00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:40,040 Speaker 1: I see, Yes, we're standing on that one. We're standing 782 00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:42,840 Speaker 1: on business there. Big big thanks to the rude dudes 783 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:46,160 Speaker 1: are ridiculous crime. Big thanks, as we said earlier, to 784 00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:51,120 Speaker 1: all the staff at waffle House for being just genuinely awesome, 785 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:55,279 Speaker 1: And big thanks to the management of waffle House for 786 00:42:55,680 --> 00:42:58,840 Speaker 1: having us over to the museum. Most importantly, Noel, thanks. 787 00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:00,920 Speaker 2: To you, Man oh Man, thanks you as well, Ben 788 00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:04,360 Speaker 2: for hosting the show with me and for doing the 789 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:07,920 Speaker 2: incredible research on this very near and dear to all 790 00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:10,840 Speaker 2: of our Heart's episode. We'll see you next time, folks. 791 00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:21,719 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 792 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:23,920 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.