Photo: Heidi Besen via Shutterstock / vyano66 and Zurijeta via Canva
It appears impossible to catch a Waffle House employee off guard.
By NyRee Ausler — Written on Dec 30, 2022
The Waffle House restaurant franchise is known for its simple variety of breakfast foods and inexpensive prices.
No matter if it’s early in the day and you want to grab a quick breakfast or the wee hours of the morning and you’re heading home from a night out, you’re sure to satisfy your appetite at the establishment.
But another thing the restaurant chain is well-known for is fighting.
In recent years, there have been a curious number of patrons who've shown up intent on causing drama at The Waffle House, taking their frustrations out on the employees.
However, Waffle House employees seem to be built different.
In video after video, they are seen rising to the occasion, fighting back, and winning.
In the latest Waffle House scuffle, a female employee displayed exemplary defense skills, and everyone is theorizing that ‘street fighting’ might be a part of the company’s training.
The video, shared by Daily Loud on Twitter, an Austin, Texas Waffle House is worked into a frenzy because it’s late and, well, it’s the Waffle House. A group of women are seen clashing with employees but seem to be specifically focused on one specific female employee.
The video starts with one woman throwing an aluminum chair at an employee behind the counter and the diner. The chair spins through the air but when it reaches the agile worker, she stops it from spinning mid-air with one hand and effortlessly throws it to the floor.
She then stands there stoically, ready for whatever is next.
This prompts all of the women in the group to launch an attack, trying feverishly to get to her behind the counter. But she fights back, launching a drink at one of the women, who tries unsuccessfully to dodge it.
The woman’s friend, incensed by the assault, rushes toward the worker. Unable to get to her due to the counterattack she is launching with items from the restaurant, both women climb atop the dining counter to gain leverage on the Waffle House employee.
They continue to throw things at her but are hesitant to jump down on the other side with her because she is obviously not going down without a fight.
When one of the women seemingly makes a move toward getting off the countertop, she loses her footing and falls down behind the counter, right into the lions’ den of Waffle House servers. One of the tries to catch her fall, while another wields a frying pan to hit her with if she gets up.
Objects continue to fly as the group of women try to retrieve their friend and the employees defend their coworker.
There were multiple videos and angles uploaded of the event and in all of them, the embattled female Waffle House worker is throwing blows and unafraid to engage with anyone who steps foot in her direction.
This confrontation may seem out of the ordinary for you, but for those employed by The Waffle House, it is looking like the norm.
A quick Twitter search for “Waffle House fights” will return hundreds of videos showcasing the camaraderie between workers.
As a matter of fact, there have been too many times to count when a Waffle House employee has gone head-to-head with a customer and come out on top.
In another Waffle House battle caught on tape, a man in Jacksonville, Florida calmly eats his food and chuckles as Waffle House staff flings items at angry customers. That video is sarcastically entitled, “Keepin’ it Classy.”
The poster, Ced, captions the video, “This would be me at a Waffle House Fight.”
There are so many examples of Waffle House employees defending themselves against customers intent on doing them harm.
In yet another video, irate customers rush behind the counter to fight workers and a brawl ensues.
The video ends with a male worker placing one of the attackers in a chokehold.
It seems the employees have an innate ability to stick together in the face of aggression and more often than not, come out on top.
This realization has led many to believe that they have special training to prepare them for warfare with bitter customers.
One person posted, “The fact that all employees of Waffle House can fight well, regardless of race, size, or gender is so hilarious to me.”
A person on that thread agreed but took a shot at how the establishment treats its workers. They said, “It’s probably cheaper to give them boxing lessons than give them health insurance.”
Another Tweeter shared a video captioned, “Waffle House employees assembling when it’s time to fight some customers.” That tweet showcased Marvel superheroes banning together to save the world.
Another man offered some words of wisdom to anyone thinking about fighting a Waffle House employee.
He posted, “Please, for your own sake, stop challenging Waffle House employees to fight. They are dead-eyed mercenaries with a very particular set of skills that generally have nothing to do with food prep or customer service. It is rarely going to turn out the way you had hoped.”
One thing is for certain, if you’re going to go to the Waffle House, you’d better show up with a good attitude and some respect.
These aren’t the type of people that call the police on you. They are ready and willing to fight and there’s a good chance that they will win.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.