Joe Rogers, Sr., was born in 1919 and died in 2017.

He was an American businessman.

Rogers was co-founder and former CEO of the Waffle House franchise restaurant chain, which began business in 1955 in Georgia, and has grown to over 1,700 locations in 25 states.

Joe was a native of Tennessee.

He began in the restaurant business as a short-order cook in 1947, at the Toddle House in New Haven, Connecticut.

During 1949, Joe had become a regional manager with the now-defunct Memphis-based restaurant chain, and moved to Atlanta.

From there he met Tom Forkner, when he bought a house from him in the Atlanta suburb of Avondale Estates.

Joe Rogers, Sr. passed away at 97 years old.