I love many things. Sometimes, those things don’t really mix like building PCs while swimming in a pool of Diet Dr Pepper. But one thing goes so well together that I’m surprised they haven’t been welded together by the forces of God. Those things are Tekken and Waffle House.
What is Waffle House?
Over the past few years, I’ve been seeing conversation about Waffle House becoming a stage in fighting games, most notably Tekken. For those who don’t know, Waffle House is a diner chain that’s operated normally in the southern and midwest US. Here are some facts about my favorite restaurant:
- Atlanta has the most Waffle Houses in the country
- Waffle House used to sell Chick-fil-A sandwhiches.
- FEMA uses the “Waffle House Index” to determine how bad a natural disaster is.
But none of those facts pales in comparison to the fact that Waffle House tends to draw the strangest people to their establishments be it a customer or an employee. This isn’t helped by the fact that the restaurant is open 24/7 (including Christmas). Tensions can run high and, when they do, fights can break out.
One notable instance of this happening was back in 2021. A fight broke out at an Austin, Texas location. A waitress identified as only “Halie B” is seen catching a chair being thrown in her direction before throwing it to the ground. Unfortunately for her, she has been blacklisted for working at other Waffle Houses.
Brand synergy
So, its with stories like this that people want to see a the restaurant as a Tekken location. People have gone as far as pressing Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada to add it to the game. And you got to love Harada for responding to the fans.
On Twitter, Harada took the time to ask why people wanted this restaurant in the game. What followed was a cultural exchange between the US and Japan. I’d even venture a guess that the southern US fighting game community (FGC) were particularly loud (in a good way) about this.
At the end of it all, Harada put a little hope in our hearts while simultaneously tempering our expectations.
Thanks for the explanation guys. And I understand that many people are requesting it. However, I think you are missing one important point. The restaurant has both the trademark and the rights to the restaurant, so if the restaurant chain’s headquarters refuses to accept my proposal, it will not happen.”
Katsuhiro Harada on Twitter
If this were to happen, I’ll definitely be picking up the game and all the DLC just to make sure I have it.
Maybe Halie can be a special DLC character. Or just add the Waffle House uniform.
Sources: The Verge, Eater Atlanta
