How it All Began

Waffle's has been a dream almost 20 years in the making. It began when our youngest daughter, Katz, was about 8 years old. Born with cerebral palsy she struggled with a lot of the tasks most of us take for granted. But she had a passion - baking. She started in the kitchen at home and continued when she entered High School, taking a culinary class. After graduating high school, Katz attended the Academy for Inclusive Learning at Kennesaw State University. She was able to enroll in their culinary program and continue her love of all things baking. In her spare time she worked at the KSU Dining Hall.

After graduating KSU , Katz moved with us to the beautiful mountain town of Dahlonega GA. My husband, Lance, had attended Ranger training School here over 30 years ago and our middle daughter, Stephanie, graduated from UNG. We knew it was a special place. That was reinforced knowing that ConnectAbility, a non profit born in Dahlonega for people of all ages with disabilities, was within walking distance of our house.

Our first business venture was Crown and Bear a British Foods and Gift shop located on the old historic square. Katz and I started the business in March of 2020, Katz taking charge of the food side while I took care of the gift department. 2020 was a tough year - Covid! No sooner had we signed the lease, then we had to shut it down. It was a to be a full 4 months before we could open the doors of Crown and Bear. Two weeks later we had to shut down again as my husband caught Covid, this was before the shots and a diagnosis of covid meant we had to stay home. We eventually reopened and Crown and Bear has become a destination on the Dahlonega Square.

Flash forward to 2024 when the historic Head House, which had been derelict for many years was saved by the City of Dahlonega, It underwent a massive renovation, including moving the house several feet. The ribbon cutting took place on Mar 22nd 2023.

Katz and I were lucky enough to secure the lease on the ground floor of the house in late 2023.

We had been collecting china for many years and we knew instantly what we wanted to do. We weren't sure if a tearoom would do well in North Georgia but we are both stubborn so...

Waffle's English Tea Room opened its doors on March 7th 2024.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us on our journey and to all our wonderful guests who have made this dream possible. We have made many new friends at Waffle's and cannot wait to meet more!