ATLANTA — Ever since opening its doors in 1955, Waffle House has been a staple for ‘foodies’ across the country for nearly 70 years now.

The first location was opened by Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner at 2719 East College Avenue in Avondale Estates on September 5, 1955.

Rogers Sr. and Forkner were neighbors. Rogers Sr. worked for the Toddle House restaurant chain while Forkner was in the real estate business. The two men decided that their city needed a 24-hour restaurant and Waffle House was born.

“We are not in the food business. We are in the people business,” is what Rogers Sr. would always say.

Under Rogers’ and Forkner’s leadership, the chain grew to 400 restaurants by the end of the 1970s. They stepped out of the day-to-day running of the business later that decade. Both Rogers and Forkner died just a month apart from each other in 2017.

Waffle House has become a national treasure since it first opened. It now operates more than 1,900 restaurants in 25 states.

Here’s a look back at just some of the menu items and how much they cost in 1955:

• Coca-Cola: 10 cents
• Hashbrown potatoes: 20 cents
• Waffles: 40 cents
• Eggs: 40 cents

Throughout the years, Waffle House kept most of the staples that remain on the menu today, but there are some items that were once offered that have now disappeared.

That includes filet mignon. It was the most expensive item on the menu at the high price of $1.50 and was served with a salad, potatoes, and a toasted bun.

For something on the healthier side, how about a pear salad with cheese, at just 35 cents?

You could take home a whole pie that was “baked fresh daily in our own kitchen,” for $1.25.

You could also find a variety of soups on the menu, from chicken noodle to cream of tomato -- for only 30 cents.

If you added up every item on the original 1955 menu, it would cost you a whopping $21.85.

A museum now stands where the original Waffle House was located in Avondale Estates.

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