New Westminster's Waffle House is closing after nearly 70 years

It’s truly the end of an era for one Metro Vancouver diner and family restaurant.

New Westminster’s Waffle House, which has been in the Metro Vancouver city in various locations over the years, has confirmed with Dished that it will be closing its current location due to “re-zoning.”

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Waffle House was originally opened in 1955 by Susan Chew, a Victoria-born Chinese woman who would later work as a fashion model, a professional hula dancer, and a travel agent.

As a young woman, Chew left home to open the Handy Fruit Market in New Westminster before opening up Waffle House in 1955, which was originally located at the corner of 6th and 6th – just a block from its current location.

Susan Chew in the original Waffle House (Daryn Wright/Daily Hive)

After noticing people throwing their waffles away, she started playing around with recipes, eventually coming up with something she called the “Jiffy-Wiffy Waffle.”

The restaurant remained in the family for 50 years, with her sister and then her nephew taking it over before it was sold to another family.

Current Waffle House management tells Dished that, as of yet, it has been unable to find a suitable location in New Westminster for its relocation but that a “smaller location in the new King George Hub development” will be opening at the end of this year.

This new reincarnation of Waffle House will have some new, “enhanced” menu items and management will be working with local markets and farmers while still “keeping our staple items like Susan’s waffle recipe,” they tell us.

A date has yet to be set for the closure of the New West location, but its closing will certainly be felt by the community.

Stay tuned for more details on both new locations as they’re revealed.