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Waffle House gets designation as historical property
by Brian Egeston
be@brianwrites.com
 The building on East College Avenue that currently looks like a highly secured compound just got a bit more famous. The Waffle House Museum has been designated a historic property in Avondale Estates which means it will be able to display signage on the building used in 1955 that current county ordinances do not support.
The decision to make the museum a historic property came down from the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners last week after requests were made to meet with the DeKalb County Historical Preservation Commission. Some commissioners expressed concern over the white panels that shutter much of the building’s front. Currently the museum is closed more than it’s open and some passersby have been confused as to the building’s purpose. “I understand the confusion since Waffle Houses are never closed [the company has never had] to deal with that issue,” quipped Commissioner Jeff Rader.
Waffle House representative Chuck Richardson, explained that many of the items inside the museum are irreplaceable thus the company’s desire for the tight security measures. Richardson said the company is currently exploring other options to the white paneling.
The museum, formerly known as Unit One, opened on Labor Day 1955 by owners Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner. Rogers worked in the restaurant industry and Forkner in real estate. Neither of the men had plans of expanding. “We got a $6,500 loan from C & S Bank. I don’t know if we ever paid them back,” Rogers quipped.
 The museum has a full-scale replica of the original restaurant and also houses artifacts such as old uniforms and ledgers. According to the Waffle House Web site the museum is open to the public one weekend a month and by appointment during the week for groups and events. The museum will be open to the public for the Avondale in Bloom Festival on May 16.
“It’s very exciting for us,” said Richardson. “We get focused on the business aspect and don’t realize there is a great following. Most people who have tried to do this had to recreate things, but we’ve got the original building, the original blueprints and the founders are still around to give us input.”
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