Is Waffle House welcome?

To many Georgians, few things say “home” like a Waffle House. No matter where you go, the shoebox-shaped 24-hour breakfast restaurant has the same size, colors and inexpensive hearty meals, topped by the iconic signon-a-stick out front.

Yet to some Woodstock residents, a Waffle House on Main Street in the historic downtown area makes as much sense as chateaubriand with a side of hash browns.

“Downtown Woodstock is a unique treasure of a place,” a Change.org petition against the proposed restaurant says. “It combines our long history with quirky boutiques, mid- and highend restaurants and foodie destinations. We don’t want a Waffle House.”

The Woodstock Planning Commission on July 7 approved Waffle House’s plan to build downtown, with conditions. Within days of that decision, signatures on the Change.org petition doubled to more than 1,300 against. The proposal goes to the City Council on July 25.

Waffle House says the unit, which will replace a Hot Dog Heaven on the site, will be unlike any other in its 1,800-restaurant chain. It will have a bricksided exterior and tasteful “WH” emblems attached to the structure — no big yellow sign here.

In a letter to residents, the Norcross-based company says it would offer 20 to 30 quality jobs, tax revenues for the city, and a less expensive dining option.

“Waffle House will serve as a place for our neighbors who leave the local restaurant or bar to enjoy a cup of coffee and pie before walking or driving home,” the company says. “A community without a Waffle House is somehow not all it can be for all its citizens.”

Should Waffle House have the right to open in a historic district? Or should the idea be scattered and smothered? Send comments by email to communitynews@ ajc.com.