The ironists among us—or maybe wiseacres would be a better term—have always taken macabre note of the premature deaths of health and fitness gurus. One such was Jim Fixx, author of The Complete Book of Running (1977), who suffered a fatal coronary at the appallingly young age of 52—while jogging, no less.
But now, a comforting counter-trend has emerged. As we noted in November, Jim Delligatti, inventor of the Big Mac, succumbed at the ripe old age of 98—after a lifetime regularly enjoying his 540-calorie legacy. Two days later, chef Peng Chang-kuei, the maestro behind General Tso’s Chicken, died at—yes, 98. Now comes the sad news that Joseph Rogers Sr., cofounder of Waffle House, is dead at age 97.
As his obituaries were careful to note, Rogers was famous not so much for his cuisine but what we might call his hospitality philosophy. It was the particular genius of Joe Rogers to recognize that at two in the morning, most tired, hungry people crave either absolute solitude or congenial company. But let’s not ignore the menu. Waffle House is the sort of place that slathers butter on the pancakes, gravy on the biscuits, and syrup on just about everything. It is neither hip nor snooty: If the customer wants a steak well done, that’s fine with the cook.
The Scrapbook wouldn’t dream of suggesting that a steady Waffle House diet is the key to longevity, but it is worth noting that Rogers was a regular patron. It is also worth noting that his business partner, Tom Forkner, survives him—at age 98.
