Dear Louisiana Waffle House Restaurants,

I know you’re surprised to be hearing from the likes of me, especially at this time of day. I know our time together is usually on the “dark side” of the clock. It’s during the nighttime hours that you have always been a beacon of light, a beacon of hope, a beacon of bacon at two in the morning. I want you to know, that our time, especially at that time of day has been really important to me.

But our wee-small-hour meals involving your oversized portions of delicious home-cooked masterpieces aren’t just about me. They’re about a lot of my friends too. While I am a regular patron of your food-enriched friendship during the week. A lot of my friends only know the glory that is Waffle House on the weekends. 

And now it looks as if those special weekend moments are being taken away.

Okay, we understand that you had to do what you had to do. We also know that the reason you had to do it was because of “us”. No, not the “us” that runs in my friendship circles but the “us” whose parents didn’t bother to teach their kids basic social skills at home.

Hey, we’re sorry that some people’s children can’t come into a Waffle House at 2:30 in the morning without causing a drunken ruckus. We also know that you have to protect your employees from those who might make poor choices after a night in the bars. And we get it. You don’t deserve that from “us”. You deserve better, dear Waffle House.

I can’t help but think how many lives you kept from being scattered, smothered, and covered in six feet of dirt just by being there. Perhaps it was your pecan waffle, a side of bacon and grits, and several cups of strong coffee that helped sober up a driver who shouldn’t have been behind the wheel.

Perhaps it was your booth, reserved for two guests or more, especially during peak hours that allowed a designated driver time to arrive to pilot a polluted friend home after a bowl of Bert’s Chili and a conversation about the pitfalls of driving under the influence.

Again, we understand why you had to change. We understand why your beautiful booths, clean bathrooms, and “The Mark” will be closed to the public from 11:30 pm until 6 am on Fridays and Saturdays. We know it’s not you. It’s us. And we are sorry, we should have behaved better.

Look, we know we can still get your delicious food “to go” in the hours when most people slumber. But it just won’t be the same. We will miss your all-night wait staff that calls us “Darlin” or “Sugar”. We will miss the fact that some of your employees refer to spicy ground pork served in a patty as “sawsha” instead of sausage.

But mostly we will miss what we love about Waffle House, it’s the feeling of being in a Waffle Home. If we behave and sales start to slip in the overnight hours would you consider taking us back on the weekend? We hope so.

Extending love from syrup-covered sticky fingers, take care,

Signed “US”

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Qualifying began Wednesday for local and state races, including Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District.

Congresswoman Julia Letlow represents this district after first taking office in April 2021.

The qualifying period for candidates is 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from July 17-19. Local and municipal candidates qualify with the clerk of court in the parish they are registered for. Federal and state candidates qualify at the Louisiana State Archives.

The primary election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5, and the ballot will include the race for president of the United States. The general election will determine any runoffs and is set for Saturday, Dec. 7.

See below who qualified for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District on Thursday, July 18.

Meet the candidates for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District

Latest News

An absolutely horrific incident happened in Hammond, Louisiana on Wednesday afternoon in which a 3-year-old died following a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face.

Shortly after 1:00 pm, a 911 call reported the incident at a home on Red Fox Drive in Hammond. It was reported that the boy had gotten a hold of a gun and accidentally shot himself in the face.

A parent immediately jumped in and attempted life-saving measures, which the first responders continued upon arrival, but sadly, the child could not be saved.

It is not immediately clear how the toddler got a hold of the gun.

READ MORE: Two Injured, One Seriously After Pair of Accidents During Lafayette Rush Hour

While the investigation remains ongoing, Sheriff Gerald Sticker is asking the public to join him in prayer for the family.

He also reminds the public about the importance of gun safety. TPSO advises to always secure your firearms in a location not easily accessible to children.

The Sheriff also asks you to consider storing firearms in lock boxes and/or gun safes as additional safety measures. And finally, consider obtaining trigger locks for all weapons.