The end of the Waffle House

Indiana Daily Student ^ | Thursday, November 7, 2013 | Jessica Contrera

[virgil283]

"Regulars say goodbye to Bloomington's second oldest restaurant....That Wednesday in September, the owner didn’t know what to do with himself. The smell of frying oil, the same greasy perfume that had greeted customers for 46 years, wafted into his nose as he wandered past the vinyl booths. He sat down, then stood up again.

Bud — everyone called him Bud — checked on the dwindling supply of breakfast sausage, peered into the nearly empty freezers, tried to explain to his regulars why it had to be this way........"

[virgil283]

The Waffle House was the second oldest restaurant in Bloomington, established only after Nick’s English Hut...It was the kind of place you could come alone and still end up talking to a dozen people. Students stumbled in between late-night bar stops, and senior citizens rolled their walkers in before doctor appointments. Cops hung out there so often, it seemed no coincidence the place was never robbed.

The legends showed up from time to time — Bobby Knight, Woody Hayes — but it was the regulars who received special treatment. Everybody knew everybody. Senior night was Tuesday. You could bring your girlfriend, your kids, your mother-in-law — everyone was family....You’d scoot into a scuffed booth, turn your well-worn mug right side up and look over the laminated menu, but you already knew what they were serving. At all hours, you could order waffles. Or strip steak. Or corn dogs. But it didn’t really matter, because going to the Waffle House wasn’t about the food.

It was about walking into a place where the fastest moving thing would be the coffee pouring into your cup. No matter what was going on in the world outside, no matter how your life was changing, the Waffle House would be there — the smell, the fake plants, the ceiling cracks — always open, always the same......"

Nice story and very well written

[thefactor]

Had some decent times at the Waffle House when I was down south for Army training. Nothing like a big plate of waffles after weeks of being in the field. Cheap, too.

[Mathews]

Yessir! Scattered, smothered and chunked was the only way to go. Best hangover prevention evah!!!!

[nascarnation]

Thanks for the link.

I’m sure if old Bud had just paid his peeps $15/hour “living wage” the world would be ok.

/s/s/s/s/

[steerpike100]

Scattered, smothered, chunked, AND COVERED!

[1raider1]

There may be some confusion here. For many years the Waffle Houses with the yellow and black sign were called Waffle & Steak in Indiana due to another, now defunct, in state chain that used the Waffle House name. This is the restaurant the article is about.

[Renegade]

You like Grits or Hash Browns with that?

[wally_bert]

A friend of mine that was on the same ship as me in Charleston lived to go to the Waffle House on North Rivers. Partly for the food and mostly in search of a date from a waitress and I think NG or Reservist as well I privately nicknamed GI Jane.

That place has long since been boarded up. At least since mid 90s I think.

[thefactor]

Regardless, brought back some good memories.

[neal1960]

Every time I hear this song I think of the Waffle House. Love the ham and cheese omelets and coffee. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9TdcuZyVI4

[Shery]

Give me a good breakfast house for my birthday or anniversary any day. We started doing that a little over a year ago! I enjoy eating out earlier in the day, not at the end of the day. Start the day with no mess/clean-up! YES!

[Wingy]

I had a friend that, for a time, was on the crew that built Waffle House Restaurants. When the building was finished, and the parking lot was being paved, a small ceremony was held and the keys to the doors would be tossed onto the parking lot to be paved over. This signified that the doors would never be locked as Waffle Houses are open 24/7/365.

That the Waffle House in the story closed for Christmas clued me in that this was not the chain, but a (slightly) different establishment.

[Red_Devil 232]

Yes I agree it is a nice story and well written. Thanks for posting.

[jsanders2001]

> Another victim of the ObamaHopeAndChangearama disaster.

I predict this to be a HUGE year for business closures; probably a record year.

[Lmo56]

"Ohhhhh Nooooo !!!! Where will I go after my Saturday Night binges ???"

[21twelve]

Read the comments and the story is written by a student! (College probably).

Not sure if the following is a typo or a direct quote. Love it if it is the direct quote!

“He comes in here nine days a week,” Rose said.

[left that other site]

I have wonderful memories of the Waffle house on my many motorcycle trips through Virgina, West Virginia, Maryland, and more!

You knew ahead of time where you could go, and you knew what to expect!

And they always were kind and friendly to a tired , dusty, biker.

[PoloSec]

Me too, where ever I found myself, stationed in the States, there was always a Waffle House, just had the best comfort food.

Read your profile thank you for your service, and your accomplishments performing such.