Waffle House has become a cultural icon for serving breakfast 24 hours a day.
Now that’s all under threat after a surprise announcement.
And Waffle House made one big change that customers are going to hate.
Waffle House prices are increasing after battle with unions
Waffle House has become a favorite for churning out a delicious breakfast at 2:00 AM after a long night or after church on a Sunday morning.
Customers have been able to count on paying a reasonable price for a hot meal that’s quickly made to order.
But now customers are going to be facing higher prices.
The Georgia-based chain announced that it was raising the base pay of its workers, offering bonuses based on tenure, and increasing the pay for certain shifts.
Waffle House CEO Joe Rogers III said menu prices would increase to help offset the pay increases.
“Make no mistake, whatever that edge is that we currently have with menu pricing, that is going to shrink a little bit in a few years,” Rogers said. “But our bet is the prevailing talent and attitudes we have behind the counter will be our biggest competitive differentiator of the future.”
The amount of the price increase will depend on the area.
Rogers said that locations in major cities like Atlanta would have more “room” to increase their prices than in “suburban or rural” areas.
“Our menu prices in a rural town are relative to competitors’ menu prices in that rural town,” Rogers explained. “So we may not have as much room to increase prices as we have in a large city.”
The Waffle House CEO acknowledged that the chain had to deliver a top-notch experience for customers with higher prices.
“This means that our levels of hospitality and service, the cleanliness of our units, and the preparation and portion size of our food, among other things, all need to elevate to a new level if we are going to be successful,” Rogers said.
Waffle House workers saw the first round of wage increases begin this month.
Democrat-connected union targeted Waffle House
Waffle House has been the target of unions over the last year.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) used a front group, the Union of Southern Service Workers, to create disruptions outside of Waffle House locations.
Union officials were agitating for higher pay, 24-hour security at all locations, and an end to a mandatory meal deduction.
Waffle House employees have $3.15 deducted per day for a meal whether they eat one or not.
The union has asked the Biden Department of Labor to investigate the chain over its practices.
Atlanta-area Waffle House server Katie Giede said she wants to see the chain raise wages to $25 an hour.
“The raises show that the company is feeling the heat,” Giede said. “We’re going to keep organizing and keep fighting until we win.”
Big Labor has targeted the restaurant industry because they’re one of the industries that can’t be outsourced overseas.
The SEIU is one of the biggest financial backers of Democrats every election cycle.
Unions are after Waffle House after they’ve driven most of the private sector business they’ve taken over out of business.
