Waffle House Has More Than Wild Brawls Now, They've Added Butt-Grabbing Allegations & Lawsuits
A lawsuit alleges misconduct that goes beyond late-night brawls.
The occasional brawls with employees aren’t the only headline makers for Waffle House in 2026. They've added allegations of constant butt grabs and lawsuits.
Not quite a step in the right direction the restaurant chain was looking for. Brawling with customers who cross the line is one thing; having managers face accusations that they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves is another.
A federal lawsuit filed by a former grill operator claims that her supervisor constantly grabbed her butt at work. (Photo by Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
I know people have argued that having a brawl break out isn’t necessarily part of the Waffle House experience. While that's mostly true, it's not off the menu entirely. There have been enough documented encounters to back that up.
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Having said that, let's hope the allegations against supervisors for constantly grabbing their cooks' butts isn’t a trend that ends up on the menu.
Marilyn Smith, a grill operator hired by Waffle House in July 2024, has filed a federal lawsuit, reports the NY Post, stating that her male supervisor was constantly grabbing her "buttocks" at work.
This Isn’t Part of the Waffle House Experience Anyone Signed Up For
According to the South Carolina woman, attempts to get him to stop were unsuccessful and repeatedly informing the district manager of the alleged behavior were also ignored.
The supervisor's "groping and sexual harassment" and the ignoring of the complaints about the behavior forced her to quit. Smith is reportedly seeking back pay, front pay, associated benefits, and both compensatory and punitive damages.
This isn’t the behavior of the Waffle House we've grown to love. We expect better and hope that there aren’t further allegations like this to come. If her concerns were ignored, they have to fix that.
We'll leave that up to the courts to decide. But again, wild brawls with a customer who starts throwing things, hops over the counter, or dares to swing on employees are all understandable. Handsy supervisors aren't.