Original Waffle Shop

The Waffle Shop began in the imagination of John Dimakopoulos. A young sailor in the Greek Merchant marines, he knew that someday he would own his own restaurant. In 1960 he set out on his adventure, cherishing the freedom and opportunity his new country provided. He was in pursuit of the American Dream. Eventually he was drawn to State College and left his life in New York City. By 1972, he was ready to open the doors at his downtown State College restaurant. As a careful entrepreneur, John saw a chance to evolve his business and by 1978 he came up with his breakfast/brunch/lunch concept. As the success of his breakfast/lunch concept grew, he added a location on North Atherton Street. The demand for fresh, quality meals grew steadily and John decided to open a location in Bellefonte. In 1998, driven by a desire to continue growing, to continue serving his customers, John opened the West College location. The new restaurant has become a familiar and happy landmark in the region. In 2004 The ORIGINAL Waffle Shop was born. John made the decision to concentrate his efforts on his North Atherton and West College Ave. locations and sold the downtown and Bellefonte locations.