Some people love nothing more than a classy fine dining experience. Waffle House is anything but that.
The 24/7 breakfast chain is notorious for its greasy food, cheap prices, and extremely casual atmosphere.
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If you’ve ever taken a road trip down south and needed a quick bite to eat at 1 a.m., Waffle House probably came to the rescue. Or if you found yourself hungry after a night out on the town, Waffle House was no doubt there to welcome you with open arms and crispy hash browns.
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Up until recently, though, if you wanted Waffle House food, you had to drag yourself out the door and over to your nearest restaurant to get it. Now, Waffle House is making a positive change that could help you satisfy your breakfast cravings without having to get off the couch.
Waffle House now offers late-night delivery.
Image source: Alex Edelman/Getty
Waffle House now offers delivery
For the first time in its storied history, Waffle House is offering delivery so customers can enjoy their favorite menu items from the comfort of home. Late-night delivery will be available from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. at select locations through the Olo online ordering platform.
Ordering delivery through Waffle House is easy. Fans can visit the restaurant’s website or download the app, enter their location, and sit back and salivate until that greasy goodness arrives at their doorsteps.
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DoorDash reports that late-night ordering has been on the rise. Orders between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. were up 44% last year on a national scale.
“We are excited to offer our customers another ordering channel, with delivery, to enjoy Waffle House at night. We will continue to evaluate expanding delivery to more of our restaurants in the coming months,” said Patrick Marshburn, EVP, Waffle House. “We are going to bring the same commitment of providing great food and hospitality to delivery, ensuring guests can enjoy their Waffle House favorites wherever they are.”
So far, late-night delivery is only available at about 500 Waffle House locations. The chain expects to expand that service to its roughly 2,000 restaurants in the course of the year.
A strategic move for Waffle House that could backfire
Over the past couple of years, consumers have been spending their money more carefully in the wake of rampant inflation. That’s forced a lot of restaurant chains to shutter or file for bankruptcy.
Perhaps now more than ever, it’s important for restaurant chains to stay competitive. And expanding into late-night delivery is a move that could work to Waffle House’s benefit.
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As it is, the chain has a major advantage in that it’s known as an affordable food destination. Upping the convenience factor could be critical to Waffle House’s success.
But while late-night delivery is a strategic move for Waffle House, it has the potential to backfire for one big reason — much of the chain’s menu is unlikely to travel well.
Imagine sitting down at your local Waffle House to enjoy a sizzling waffle, scrambled eggs, and crispy hash browns on the side. By the time a meal like that gets to your door, it might taste more like a squishy pile of dough, cold eggs, and soggy potatoes.
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This isn’t to say that all Waffle House menu items will degrade in quality during transit. But the appeal of Waffle House isn’t just the low price point, but the comfort of a fresh, melty sandwich on your plate.
Removing the fresh-cooked factor takes much of the joy out of a Waffle House meal, so it’ll be interesting to see just how popular the chain’s new late-night delivery offering ends up being.
