Join The Club
Katsuhiro Harada may have departed Bandai Namco at the end of 2025—it seems, unfortunately, in favour of opening up a Saudi-funded studio of his own—but he can't shake his 30-year history with Tekken that easily.
During a visit to Atlanta for an appearance at Momocon, Harada made sure to stop by and document his visit to one very important place: Waffle House.
But what the hell has Tekken got to do with Waffle House, I hear you ask? It's been a bit of a running gag in the community at this point, with fans asking Harada over the years to turn the American establishment into a stage for the fighting game. Presumably due to all of the fights that seem to occur in them, a phenomenon that is beyond my understanding as a Waffle House-less Brit. I have to assume it's the equivalent of people scrapping outside a Wetherspoons on a Friday night after one too many two-for-£12 pitchers.
I finally made it to WAFFLE HOUSE.The staff are always friendly, and when I asked if they would sell me a menu, they sold me one for $5.Next time, I’ll be back at 3 a.m. for fight time.#WAFFLEHOUSE pic.twitter.com/ivyTIzSE0BMay 24, 2026
Harada questioned what all the hoo-ha about Waffle House was back in 2024, asking: "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."
A year later Harada then revealed that he'd been trying to get in touch with Waffle House about a potential collaboration, seemingly to no avail. "I've actually tried to make contact through several different channels," he posted to X in May last year. "However, and this is purely my own speculation, I suspect that the lack of response may be due to the fact that the project I am known for revolves around 'fighting-themed video games,'" adding that getting no response was "very rare."
And thankfully, it seems the joke has not died with his departure from the game. "I finally made it to WAFFLE HOUSE," Harada declared on X over the weekend. "The staff are always friendly, and when I asked if they would sell me a menu, they sold me one for $5. Next time, I'll be back at 3 a.m. for fight time."
Harada was kind enough to provide some visual evidence in the form of his classic pose outside the Waffle House, a picture of the food, and one where Harada is wielding a chair as a weapon. I approve.
While I suspect we won't be seeing any Waffle House-adjacent stages appearing in Tekken or whatever Harada is cooking up over at his brand-new VS Studio—apparently during his Momocon panel he once again iterated that he attempted to call their PR apartment but received no answer—I appreciate the little ways he's continuing to stay active in the community he spent so many years being a part of.
