Thursday morning was the silent opening at Washington’s newest restaurant, an institution in the south, Waffle House.

For four hours, Waffle House opened its doors to an excited community waiting for the southern delicacy.

Washington residents and others waited in a relatively short line to eat the free meal offered by Waffle House. The Washington Daily News and Washington city officials came out to support the silent opening.

The Washington Daily News enjoyed a breakfast with Brian Alligood, Washington’s city manager and his staff.

While waiting in the line, we heard conversations about how great it was to have Waffle House in the community. Many people complimented Dustin Miller and Michaela Larson who run the restaurant operations on the food and service.

Among the dignitaries at the silent opening were Mayor Mac Hodges and Fire Chief Robbie Rose. Some Beaufort County police officers also took the time to stop by and welcome the newest family member to Washington.

Not only has Waffle House given Washington a new place to eat, but it has also opened the door for new employment as well.

Beside the food, employing the residents of Beaufort County should be Waffle House’s top order of business.  Beaufort County has a population of roughly 47,507 people and at the start of the year 1,673 were unemployed, according to the North Carolina commerce website.

The restaurant is employing 50 residents of Beaufort County. Waffle House says it is their number one priority to put people to work.

Support the restaurant so it can continue to support the city and county by putting people to work.

Waffle House will begin its regular business on Monday, June 2 at 7 a.m. The restaurant will be open 24 hours a day and 365 days of the year, including major holidays.