Waffle House, the latest addition to the Springfield restaurant scene, opened late last month with a grand celebration. The Springfield High School band and cheerleaders helped kick things off right as Waffle House management cut the ribbon and sent the keys off tied to a bunch of balloons to signify that the restaurant never closes.

 

Folks in the area are excited to have Waffle House in the community and from the looks of the parking lot each time I have driven past, business has been great for this new eatery. City officials are excited about the additional sales tax revenue that will be generated for Springfield, over $5,000 annually based on estimates of national average store revenues for the Waffle House chain.

 

But what seems like a simple business decision for Waffle House to locate a new store in Springfield, Tennessee is actually the result of a long process which involves a considerable team effort.

 

The journey began some five years ago when the Springfield Board of Mayor and Alderman made the decision to invest in a study by Buxton, a retail economic development consulting company, to identify potential retailers and restaurants which would be a good fit for the Springfield area. Buxton worked with Springfield city officials and the chamber to identify the most desirable areas in the city for retail growth as well as the retailers and restaurants that filled existing gaps in our community. The study resulted in a package of demographic data and a list of thirty target retailers and their appropriate contact information.

 

The chamber's economic development department worked that list of targets, sending demographic and site information to each and focusing recruiting efforts and retail trade show visits on the most promising businesses. It was a tough time for recruitment, as the economy began to weaken in the fall of 2008. There was very little interest from retailers or restaurants in seeking out new locations.

 

Fast forward through the great recession to 2011 as Waffle House started to look at expanding their middle Tennessee presence and site selection representatives from the company began to review available real estate in the area. The Memorial Boulevard site of the former El Molcajete Restaurant was chosen and the process of site planning and permitting began.

 

Waffle House regional manager, Tim Winecoff, praised Springfield city officials for their cooperation and working relationship during the process of getting the project developed and built. The Robertson County Career Center was also a tremendous resource for Waffle House representatives as they went about the task of hiring the 40 employees required to keep the restaurant open 24/7, 365 days per year.

 

So what did it take to bring a Waffle House to Springfield? To borrow a phrase, it took a village. A village filled with vision, investment, and cooperation. And with this success story in the books, we look forward to working together for continued growth and development in our community.