Tekken director apparently keeps getting requests to add a Waffle House stage

Waffle House is one of those uniquely American institutions-turned-meme. The 24/7 chain is not only a place where you can order a breakfast combo at 3AM, but where unruly customers have been known to show up ready to throw hands (and sometimes chairs). Given its notoriety for late-night brawls, it’s exactly the type of setting that would make for a perfect backdrop in a fighting game like Tekken 8 — and apparently, fans have been inquiring. Longtime Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada posted on X this weekend asking what the deal is with all the Waffle House requests.

Obviously, the question was posed in the days before April Fools’ Day, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there turned out to be some jest baked into it all. But now that we’re having the conversation…

“Ok, I will only ask once about this request,” Harada posted. “Why do some communities send me requests for ‘Waffle House’? Please be sure to explain the basis for the request, including the original story, history and background. I look forward to an explanation from someone who knows more.”

Harada followed it up with another post thanking everyone who explained it and saying he understands, but went on to say, “The restaurant has both the trademark and the rights to the restaurant, so if the restaurant chain’s headquarters refuses to accept my proposal, it will not happen.” Waffle House now has an opportunity to do something pretty funny here.

But that shouldn’t come before Waffle House adequately addresses the concerns of its employees, some of whom have been vocal in the last year about low wages and a lack of security. Employees from some locations are on strike, and the Union of Southern Service Workers has put together a petition demanding Waffle House implement changes to improve working conditions. Until that’s resolved, any collaboration with the fighting game would just be in poor taste.