By the end of March, credit cards will be accepted in the 713 company-
owned restaurants in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina,
Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

“We wanted to make sure credit cards were here to stay before we started
accepting them,” jokes Walt Ehmer, Waffle House vice president and the “Walt”
of Walt’s Soup. “Seriously, we listen to our customers to find ways to
enhance their Waffle House experience, and accepting credit cards was the
biggest suggestion we heard.”

Since opening the first restaurant in Avondale Estates, Georgia, in 1955,
Waffle House company restaurants have been cash only. Through the years some
restaurants experimented with ATMs, but, in the end, the company decided accepting credit cards was the best solution.

“With many in our society not carrying cash, this gives them the
convenience of eating with us and then using their credit cards,” says Ehmer.

Ehmer expects many of the Waffle House franchise owners to
start accepting credit cards as well.