Countless University of Georgia students know the Waffle House of downtown Athens all too well. From breakfast at midnight to Sunday brunch, the aroma of the buttery southern breakfast food is a familiar one. Open 24 hours, this culturally salient resturaunt chain has the most of its locations here in Georgia. The Waffle House Index, a judgement of how severe a natural disaster is based on what capacity the surrounding Waffle House locations are operating at, is another example of how much of a mainstay Waffle House is to communities. While many can spot the iconic black and yellow block letter signs, few have the pleasure of getting to know the people who make it all happen. Meet Willie Carol, 81, a soft spoken man with a warm smile. He has been a Master Grill Operator with the Waffle House in downtown Athens since 2018. After living in Atlanta, Georgia for 50 years Carol moved to Athens, Georgia with his wife in search of a slower paced city. What he wasn’t expecting to find was a rich sense of community, and second career as a chef bringing joy to a revolving door of hungry patrones.
