Tom Forkner &
Joe W. Rogers Sr.

Waffle House founders, Joe W. Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner, have touched the lives of so many and now they are sharing some advice on life, love, success and longevity.

When the doors of the Waffle House opened in 1955, Joe and Tom’s success was centered on good food and being kind to the customer. Fast-forward to 2009, and what do you hear when you walk through the door of a Waffle House?

“Hello.” “Good morning.” “Good afternoon.” A warm welcome flows across the room from anyone who feels your presence or catches your eye from behind the counter. “That is still our most successful approach to business,” says Joe, who inked the book, Who’s Looking Out for the poor Old Cash Customer?

The dynamic duo set aside some time recently to give Swing readers a serving of their rich vibes. Joe and Tom were funny, wise and in sync with each other. An amazing energy ... so much so, that they finished each other’s sentences. At 90 and 91, respectively, Joe and Tom still report to work and maintain an active lifestyle that most young adults would envy.

Joe, the talkative one, is a jokester with wisdom. He was born in Jackson, Tenn. “It was a dry county because the bootleggers and the preachers kept it dry,” says Joe.

S: What do you credit your loving friendship, successful business and partnership to?

Joe: He tends to his business, and I tend to mind, and we don’t get in each other’s way. We had a rule years ago to disagree without being disagreeable.

Tom: We never get to a point where we disagree in the daytime and wouldn’t go out to dinner that night.

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