What makes celebrities flock to Waffle House?

The list of stars spotted at WaHo is endless
1413
Waffle House
Illustration by Ryan Snook

In early December, Kobe Bryant’s season-long farewell to the NBA came through Atlanta, where the Lakers lost to the Hawks. Where did he and his wife dine, post-game? No, not Restaurant Eugene, not Gunshow, but Waffle House. Why the appeal? Sure, Waffle Houses are open 24 hours, but so is the Majestic. So is the Landmark. Perhaps the Bryants were taking a cue from the Celebrity PR Playbook, whose first rule (we can only conclude) is, “If you don’t have a common touch, fake it.” And where better to take your common touch for a spin than at Waffle House, the embodiment of the plebeian class. The list of celebrities spotted at a WaHo (or Instagramming or tweeting from there) is endless (John Legend to Justin Bieber), but the gold medal of cameos belongs to Kid Rock, whose 2007 fracas at a Buford Highway outpost led to a $40,000 payout to the victim and an apology tour at, where else, Waffle House.

This article originally appeared in our February 2016 issue.

Advertisement