Waffle House Co-Founder Joseph W. Rogers Dies at 97
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Waffle House Co-Founder Joseph W. Rogers Dies at 97
- Joseph W. Rogers Sr., co-founder of the Waffle House restaurant chain, passed away on March 3, 2017, at the age of 97.
- Rogers, alongside his neighbor Tom Forkner, opened the first Waffle House on Labor Day in 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia.
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Joseph W. Rogers Sr., who co-founded the iconic 24-hour Waffle House restaurant chain, died on March 3, 2017, in Atlanta at the age of 97. The company announced his death on March 6, 2017.
Rogers, a Tennessee native, began his career in the restaurant industry as a short-order cook in 1947 before becoming a regional manager for the Toddle House chain. He met his future business partner, Tom Forkner, a real estate broker, when Rogers purchased a house from him in Avondale Estates, Georgia. Inspired by the rise of fast-food establishments, Rogers and Forkner collaborated to create a sit-down restaurant offering quick service and round-the-clock availability.
The first Waffle House opened its doors on Labor Day weekend in 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia. Forkner suggested the name “Waffle House” as waffles were the most profitable item on their initial 16-item menu. By the late 1970s, the chain had expanded to 400 restaurants. As of April 2025, Waffle House operates over 2,000 locations across 25 states, primarily in the South and Midwest. Rogers’ son, Joe Rogers Jr., succeeded his father as CEO in the late 1970s and remains the chairman and controlling owner. Joseph W. Rogers Sr. was known for his dedication to customer service, with his son quoting him as saying, “The customer always came first for him, and he made sure the customer came first for everyone who worked with him.”