Local
TODAY IN HISTORY: Waffle House opened its doors 71 years ago in metro Atlanta
Summary by The Atlanta Editorial Desk · As published by WSB-TV (ABC) - News
· September 5, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: WSB-TV (ABC) - News · view original
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The Atlanta Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Published by WSB-TV (ABC) - News Original story Read at the source Source published Sep 5, 2026 Indexed here Sep 5, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
Every story comes with a passport. How we work · Corrections log · Publisher’s note
Key points and Tom Forkner, it has been serving food for 71 years. The founders, who were neighbors, decided to open a 24-hour establishment.
A well-known restaurant chain is celebrating a major milestone. Founded by Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner, it has been serving food for 71 years. The founders, who were neighbors, decided to open a 24-hour establishment. Rogers had previously worked for another restaurant chain, while Forkner was in real estate.
The chain's growth was significant, with over 400 locations by the end of the 1970s. The founders' vision and leadership played a key role in this expansion.
Further details about the restaurant chain's history and founding are available from the source, including the story of its early days and development into a beloved brand.
More Local Today’s briefing Local events
Why this story is here
WSB-TV (ABC) - News reported and published this story. The Atlanta selected it, summarised the key facts above, and links to the original. We did not report this story and we added no reporting of our own to it.
About this story
As published by WSB-TV (ABC) - News . The Atlanta selects stories from publishers’ feeds, summarises them, and links back to the publisher that reported them. We add no reporting of our own. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit WSB-TV (ABC) - News . Have a tip or correction? Contact the editor .
Category: Local ·
Published: September 5, 2026 ·
Source: WSB-TV (ABC) - News ·
Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? A well-known restaurant chain is celebrating a major milestone. Founded by Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner, it has been serving food for 71 years. The founders, who were neighbors, decided to open a…
When was this published? This article was first published on September 5, 2026 by WSB-TV (ABC) - News and curated for The Atlanta readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by WSB-TV (ABC) - News. To learn more about how The Atlanta selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more Local coverage from The Atlanta, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
← Back to all news
More Local →
Today’s briefing
Subscribe to newsletter