Harada finally visits Waffle House after years of Tekken fans demanding it as stage

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For years, Tekken players have jokingly asked director Katsuhiro Harada to include a Waffle House restaurant as a fighting stage. Harada finally decided to visit one himself to see what they had in mind.

In 2024, Harada noticed a fan-made design showing a Waffle House parking lot as a fighting arena in Tekken and was puzzled by its unexpected popularity.

He thought to himself, ‘I’m only going to ask this once: why are some people requesting information about ‘Waffle House’?’

People immediately started telling him that Waffle House has become known for viral videos of fights, and that many have happened there over the years, almost turning it into a running joke.

After several months, Harada shared that he’d reached out to Waffle House about a potential partnership for Tekken. He proposed a humorous take on the restaurant, suggesting a parody called ‘Hustle House’ be included in the game.

Harada finally visits Waffle House to prepare for “3AM fight time”

Sadly, Harada wasn’t able to pursue this concept because he left Namco after more than three decades. He then teamed up with SNK to establish a new game development company named VS Studio.

Despite Tekken being a major focus for him, Harada remembered a fan request to visit Waffle House. He finally got the chance during a trip to MomoCon 2026 in Atlanta.

He said the staff were consistently friendly, and they happily sold him a menu when he asked, charging $5 for it.

I finally visited Waffle House! The staff is always super friendly, and they even sold me a menu for five dollars when I asked. I’m already planning my next visit – 3 a.m. for the usual excitement. #WAFFLEHOUSE

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) May 24, 2026

Harada also shared photos from the restaurant. One showed him standing outside with a raised fist, and another depicted him holding a chair like it was a weapon.

This probably refers to Wendy, a Waffle House employee who became famous online after skillfully blocking a chair thrown at her during a large fight with customers.

“Next time, I’ll be back at 3 AM for fight time,” Harada joked.

We probably won’t see a Waffle House character in Tekken, but this gives us hope that the next game Harada works on will at least feature a stage inspired by the restaurant.

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2026-05-25 17:19