Quilted Pig Waffle & Nitro Cold Brew Coffee
Smashed Waffle Company opened its first Triangle location back at the end of January on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh. Since then NC State students and Raleigh residents alike have made the new cafe a popular spot for enjoying delicious waffles and creative coffee drinks. Now that Spring has arrived and the weather is warming up Smashed Waffles is holding their Grand Opening Celebration with an official ribbon cutting ceremony this Thursday, April 26th at 11 a.m.
Part of that celebration will include a chance to win a Year’s Worth of Waffles! Everyone visiting the Raleigh Smashed Waffle Café on April 26th can enter a drawing, and the lucky winner will receive a dozen waffles every month for an entire year.
The Grand Opening Celebration will continue throughout the day, and conclude with a themed pajama party that evening from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. During which, anyone dressed in pajamas will be able to purchase a waffle for only $1.00!
Founders Justin Cox and Hunter Harrison
(Photo Courtesy Pam Varela)
About Smashed
Co-founders, Hunter Harrison and Justin Cox, both former commercial bankers, were so inspired by a 2016 brainstorming session that within weeks they quit their jobs, and a gourmet waffle company was founded with visions of changing the landscape of the waffle industry. The concept was solid, but the trick was how to keep the waffles from getting soggy, which occurs when a traditional batter is used. To ensure a quality product, Harrison and Cox experimented with a series of scratch made dough as a base, which created a hard outer shell, and a delicious soft, airy center. The dough is then “smashed” into heavy-duty cast iron waffle “smashers.” Problem solved and The Smashed Waffle brand was created!
Smashed Waffles!
Moving into a cafe has allowed The Smashed Waffle Company to broaden their offerings. “We expanded our menu to include not only the sweet waffle versions that people had grown to love, but also savory waffles like smashed Waffle-Wiches, ice cream Smashed-Wiches, custom lattes, and specialty coffees,” co-founder Justin Cox said.
This expansion keeps Smashed Waffles true to their vision of showing the world that the waffle can be not only an amazing breakfast item or, in their case, an alternative to the doughnut, but they want to prove that waffles are the new bread!
Inside Smashed Waffles on Hillsborough Street
(Photo courtesy of Pam Varela)
The waffle menu at Smashed includes waffle based sandwiches and of course lots of tasty and creative toppings to add to your waffle. They also have a full coffee and espresso drink menu. My favorite combo is the Nitro Cold Brew and the “Quilted Pig”waffle with its maple icing, candied bacon crumbles and powdered sugar. You can view the menu here.
Another cool aspect of this company is that they help serve the community beyond just providing fun waffles and coffee. The Smashed Waffle Company believes in making a difference. For every cup of coffee they sell, a portion of the proceeds goes to help benefit families that are affected by Autism.
If you can’t stop by this week for the Grand Opening Celebration make sure you add this spot to your list the next time you are exploring Hillsborough Street. The hours for the cafe and delivery services are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday -Thursday and 7 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Catering and delivering is also available: To place an order for delivery, go to http://www.smashedwaffles.com
Smashed Waffles
2304 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh, NC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smashedwaffles
Instagram: @smashedwaffles
Twitter: @smashedwaffles
The Triangle Explorer 