Who Owns Waffle House?
Updated onExplore the ownership hierarchy of Waffle House. See parent companies, holding structures, and ultimate controllers.
Ownership Chain
Waffle House
Waffle House is a privately held American casual dining restaurant chain known for its 24-hour service and Southern-style breakfast food, with over 2,000 locations across 25 U.S. states.
Waffle House appears to be independent with no known parent company.
Waffle House
Waffle House is a privately held American casual dining restaurant chain known for its 24-hour service and Southern-style breakfast food, with over 2,000 locations across 25 U.S. states.
Waffle House appears to be independent with no known parent company.
Major Shareholders
Waffle House
Major Shareholders
| Name | Type | Ownership | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
Rogers family (Joe Rogers Jr. and related family trusts) The founding Rogers family, led by longtime chairman Joe Rogers Jr., has consolidated ownership within the family and holds a controlling majority stake in Waffle House, which remains a closely held, family-controlled private company; detailed percentage ownership is not publicly disclosed. | Family | — | Dec 2025 |
Employee ownership plan and employee shareholders Waffle House operates employee ownership programs (including an ESOP and employee stock purchase options) that give roughly 3,500 employees a direct equity interest in the company; these plans represent a meaningful but minority stake, with no precise ownership percentage disclosed publicly. | Other | — | Dec 2025 |
Forkner family (descendants of co‑founder Tom Forkner) Public overviews in 2025 continue to describe Waffle House as owned by the families of both co‑founders Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner, alongside strong employee ownership, while Forbes reports that the Rogers family now holds the controlling share; any remaining Forkner family stake is understood to be non‑controlling and its exact size is not disclosed. | Family | — | — |
Get Started
Your ultimate competitive playbook
You just found your top competitors. Now let's map your whole landscape and show you how to stand out.
Competitive Landscape Report
Built for small teams who can't hire a full-time analyst.
$129 $260 one-time payment
Generated in minutes, no subscription.
Instead of guessing what to do about your competitors, get a done-for-you intelligence report
Competitor Map
Direct, indirect, and alternative competitors mapped across your market
Positioning Analysis
How each competitor positions, their ICP, and key differentiators
Feature & Pricing Matrix
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and packaging strategies
Growth Channel Analysis
SEO, paid ads, content, and social strategies across the landscape
Reputation & Social Proof
Ratings, reviews, and sentiment analysis across all competitors
90-Day Action Plan
Specific tactics to differentiate and win more deals in the next 3 months