About Us
Our Journey: Community-Built. Nationally Respected.
Waffles and Whatnot (WAWN) wasn’t born in a boardroom; it was born from a desire to heal, a leap of faith, and a relentless pursuit of culinary excellence. What started as a single picnic table on the sidewalks of Anchorage grew into a food truck and has since evolved into a nationally recognized social enterprise—a staple of Alaskan resilience.
Our signature recipes weren't created for a restaurant; they were created for recovery. In 2016, inspired by a loved one’s battle with cancer, our founder Derrick Green developed a nutrient-dense, B.R.A.T. compliant recipe to provide energy and comfort during chemotherapy. That Gourmet Apple Cinnamon mix soon evolved into our signature waffle, establishing the WAWN culinary philosophy: Delicious food with a health-influenced purpose.
In 2018, Derrick took a leap of faith, transitioning from a sidewalk picnic table to our first physical location in Eagle River, Alaska. The journey was immediately tested:
- The Trial: Just seven days after opening, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake destroyed our equipment and supplies.
- The Resilience: Despite the devastation and the steep learning curves of a first-time entrepreneur, the "WAWN Crew" pressed forward.
- The Evolution: We took every lesson learned from those early hardships and opened our flagship location on Muldoon Road in Anchorage—a model designed for the future.
What started as a local labor of love quickly caught the eye of the nation. Driven by a commitment to quality, we embarked on a journey across the country to study large-scale manufacturing firsthand. We returned to Alaska with a blueprint to scale, transforming a single kitchen into a professional manufacturing operation capable of bringing our flavors to a wider audience.
Our unique flavors and "grit-to-glory" story soon reached the national spotlight, earning features on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri, Guy’s Grocery Games, Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today, Cuisine Noir, and Food and Beverages Magazine.
Today, Waffles and Whatnot has transitioned from a local favorite to a nationally respected brand, yet our core remains unchanged. As a social enterprise, we are dedicated to changing lives one amazing experience at a time.
Through faith, gratitude, and informed action, we are bringing our health-influenced comfort food to your city—forging community partnerships and meaningful relationships along the way.
A WORD FROM DERRICK
"In 2016, I created Waffles and Whatnot to serve as a social enterprise that realizes our motto, 'No Gimmicks, Just Greatness.' Each WAWN associate is dedicated to bettering the world around them and is dedicated to our mission of changing lives one amazing experience at a time.
WAWN is devoted to giving back to each and every community that helps make our company a success. A portion of every dollar you spend with us becomes an agent of community change. Thank you for empowering us to make a true impact on the communities in which we live and work. I greatly appreciate each and every one of you."