Myrtle Beach area Waffle Houses late-night refuge. Which ones have most reports of crimes?
Editor’s note: This article was updated to correct the spelling of Ty Matejowsky. (Updated 1:33 p.m. Nov. 6, 2024)
Entering a Waffle House late at night — or early in the morning — is a common occurrence, said Waffle House expert Ty Matejowsky.
The cheap eats and plastic seats make it a solid place to wind down at the end of the night. That includes the many locations in the Myrtle Beach area.
But those late-night visits can also bring trouble, which oftentimes requires police to respond.
“I think, now especially, people have internalized this idea that Waffle House is a place where people let their free flags fly or misbehave,” said Matejowsky, author of, “Smothered and Covered: Waffle House and the Southern Imaginary.” “There’s kind of this expectation that when you go, especially during these late nights, you might encounter this type of behavior.”
Waffle Houses in the Myrtle Beach area have not been immune to incidents of crime.
In 2021, a man died after a shooting at a Conway Waffle House. It occurred following a fight at the restaurant. This year, an employee was attacked by a customer at a Myrtle Beach Waffle House.
The Sun News requested police reports through a Freedom of Information Act request for the seven Waffle Houses around the Myrtle Beach area from Jan. 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, to find out which one had the most crime.
The restaurant located near downtown Myrtle Beach, 100 North Kings Highway, had the most police reports, according to records.
In the 18-month time frame, there were 38 incidents at that location. One of those include when police showed up to the Waffle House near downtown Myrtle Beach around 4 a.m. Aug. 11, 2023, after an employee found two men fighting over their bill behind the restaurant. Myrtle Beach Police officers ultimately arrested no one because the pair were “mutually fighting,” the report said.
The second location with the most incidents is the Waffle House near the Myrtle Beach International Airport, 711 Frontage Road, with 18 incidents.
Waffle House Spokesperson Njeri Boss declined The Sun News’ request to interview local employees.
“We sincerely hope you would diligently investigate the broader issues of retail violence, its causes, effects, and solutions to give your readers the most accurate context of the issues involved,” Boss said.
Waffle House a late-night refuge
Although a Myrtle Beach Waffle House made local headlines this year after a customer attacked an employee, that appears to be a rare instance. When looking at the police reports at Waffle Houses for the past year, the top two reasons for arrests were public disorderly conduct and trespassing.
There were 17 arrests for public disorderly conduct and 12 for trespassing during the 18-month time frame, according to the reports. The arrests include narratives about people making a scene at a Waffle House, usually by yelling at staff or other customers while intoxicated.
The other violent incidents included three armed robberies and two incidents of people fighting.
While violent incidents are rare, they tend to get a lot of attention due to the association with Waffle House, said Matejowsky. This is because of the restaurant’s reputation.
Matejowsky said there are two ideas people have when it comes to the breakfast chain.
“On the one hand, it’s seen as this late-night refuge for the drunk and disorderly where people go after the nightclubs close,” Matejowsky said. “Then there’s also this counter narrative where Waffle House has been embraced as a messy icon of American Southern identity, a place where people are real, a place where people are genuine.”
Another example of violence was a shooting at the Waffle House near the Myrtle Beach International Airport in June 2023. No one was hurt, but two people were arrested, warrants show.
If Waffle House had as much crime as some people thought, it wouldn’t be open, Matejowsky said.
“It’s not reflective of everyday operations. (Stories) get put out there because they’re viral and make it seem like all of this is occurring at all times, but that’s just not the case,” Matejowsky said. “Waffle House would not be able to stay in business if that were the case.”
The perfect recipe for petty crimes
From Jan. 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, reports show there were seven instances in which people left without paying their bill and several instances in which people stole items, such as backpacks or even cars at the Myrtle Beach area locations.
As a 24-hour operation located along busy roadways, the restaurants become a target for crime where people can escape easily at night, Matejowsky said.
Waffle House doesn’t always have security guards or cameras, Matejowsky said. It also pays servers low wages, giving little motivation to stop criminal activity and creating an absence of a guardian, he said.
“It’s like a vicious cycle or a feedback loop. Now people go there expecting to see something,” Matejowsky said.
This story was originally published November 6, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
