Joseph Wilson Rogers (November 30, 1919 – March 3, 2017) was an American businessman. He was co-founder and former CEO of the Waffle House franchise restaurant chain, which began business in 1955 in Georgia, and has grown to over 2,100 locations in 25 states.
Joe Rogers | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph Wilson Rogers November 30, 1919 Jackson, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | March 3, 2017 (aged 97) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | co-founder and former CEO of Waffle House |
| Spouse | Ruth Jolley Rogers |
| Children | 4, including Joe Rogers Jr. |
Early years
editBorn in 1919 in Jackson, Tennessee,[1] he grew up there at 291 W. Deaderick Street, and graduated from Jackson High School in 1938.[2] During World War II Rogers served in the United States Army Air Corps as a B-24 pilot reaching the rank of captain.[3]
Rogers started in the restaurant business as a short-order cook in 1947, at the Toddle House in New Haven, Connecticut.[4] By 1949, he had become a regional manager with the now-defunct Memphis-based restaurant chain, and moved to Atlanta.[5] There he met Tom Forkner, whom he bought a house from in the Atlanta suburb of Avondale Estates.[6][7][8]
Forkner pressed Rogers to go into business together for a quick-service, sit-down restaurant in Avondale.[7][8] Forkner later recalled Rogers telling him, "You build a restaurant and I’ll show you how to run it."[5] Forkner suggested a Toddle House, but Rogers felt the chain wasn't proper for the market.[7] After Forkner secured the property,[7] the pair developed the concept of the Waffle House together: Forkner proposed the name, while Rogers suggested keeping a 24-hour schedule.[9]
Waffle House
editThis section needs to be updated. (March 2017) |
The first Waffle House opened on Labor Day weekend 1955, at 2719 East College Avenue in Avondale Estates, Georgia.[6] The restaurant was named after the most profitable item on the 16-item menu.[5] The fragile nature of waffles also made the point that it was a dine-in, not a carry-out, restaurant, but it confused patrons as to meal availability other than breakfast.[5]
Rogers continued to work with Toddle House, and to avoid conflict of interest sold his interest to Forkner in 1956.[4] In 1960, when Rogers asked to buy into Toddle House, and they refused, he moved back to Atlanta and rejoined Waffle House, now a chain of three restaurants, to run restaurant operations.[4] Shortly after Rogers returned full-time, Forkner followed suit and left Ben S. Forkner Realty.[10]
After opening a fourth restaurant in 1960, the company began franchising its restaurants[5] and slowly grew to 27 stores by the late 1960s, before growth accelerated.[5] As of 2017, there are over 2,100 locations in 25 states. The company is privately held and doesn't disclose annual sales figures, but says they serve 2% of the eggs used in the nation's food service industry.[5] The founders limited their involvement in management, Joe Rogers Jr. is Chairman, and Walt Ehmer is president and CEO.[11]
Personal life
editHe was married to Ruth Jolley Rogers for 74 years, and she survived him.[12] They had four children, two girls and two boys, and their eldest son, Joe Rogers Jr. became CEO of Waffle House in 1973.[2]
Death
editRogers died on March 3, 2017, at the age of 97 in Atlanta.[13][14]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Waffle House co-founder Joe Rogers dead at 97". ajc.com. 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
- ^ a b "Jackson is home to co-founder of Waffle House". jacksonsun.com. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ "Waffle House co-founder Joe Rogers Sr. dies at 97". chicagotribune.com. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
- ^ a b c |title=Joe Rogers profile: The cornerstone of Waffle House |publisher=ajc.com |date=2004-12-24 Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 24, 2004
- ^ a b c d e f g "Waffle House still dishin' diner food at 50". NBC News. 15 August 2005.
- ^ a b Waffle House history Archived 2012-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Auchmutey, Jim (September 2, 2008). "Waffle House history a recipe for museum success". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
- ^ a b Schemmel, William (2007). You Know You're in Georgia When...: 101 Quintessential Places, People, Events, Customs, Lingo, and Eats of the Peach State. Globe Pequot. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-7627-4131-1.
- ^ "Waffle House turns 50, but goods still going like hotcakes". USA Today. Associated Press. 2005-08-12. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
- ^ "History of Waffle House". populartimelines.com.
- ^ Sorvino, Chloe. "Waffle House Chairman Joe Rogers Jr. Debuts As A Billionaire As Restaurant Industry Digs Out From Wreckage". Forbes.
- ^ "Waffle House co-founder Joe Rogers Sr. dies at 97". chicagotribune.com. Associated Press. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ Stephen Miller (2017-03-06). "Joe Rogers, Who Built Waffle House Chain With Grits, Dies at 97". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
- ^ "Joseph W. Rogers, a Founder of Waffle House, Dies at 97". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2017.