We had the good fortune of connecting with James and Laura Chancey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James and Laura, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Patience and clear communication have been our two major factors to increased success.

(1) Patience has taught us that it will lead you to a positive mindset and make you more open minded. In the beginning, we were a total unknown to pop-up locations and pop-up costumers, it took some time to spread the word and let the waffles speak for itself. Patience and persistence has led the business build to the point it is today. “Success doesn’t happen overnight” a well known cliché that is the case for so many of us small businesses owners.

(2) Wafel Wagen is a two person business, clear communication has spared us many headaches and much time. By clearly sharing our desires and concerns within the business we have been able to improve our operating processes from efficiently preparing for a pop-up to effective marketing.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Everything at Wafel Wagen exudes passion for Belgian Arisanery in its purest form. Brought back to its essence and made with the best quality ingredients, plenty of time to rest and rise, our Liege waffles are just themselves. Same goes for all our toppings as almost everything we serve is an in house creation made of local and seasonal ingredients. The waffle recipe is an authentic recipe that was fine tuned with the help of an awarded Belgian baker. This was an extremely long process as we wanted to make sure that we serve only the best version as it will represent Belgium in Georgia. Our goal is to share a Belgian experience to our beloved Georgians.

We are very thankful to have been welcomed with open arms by local pop-up locations such as Midway Pub (where we held our first pop-up ever) and Halfway Crooks Beer. This exposure has allowed us to create a presence in the Atlanta pop-up community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a great question where the question only would be shared if asked. So here would be my go-to list.

A few of the restaurants on the go-to lists are Miller Union on a weeknight. Can’t go wrong with anything on their menu but the veggie plate and the egg yolk appetizer is a must. The black spaghetti and chicken liver ravioli at Boccalupo is out of this world. Then of course, we will need to make a few stops along Buford Highway. If I am required to pick a top two among all the fantastic options it would be (1) Masterpiece and (2) Shoya Izakaya. Both restaurants will not only serve you a delicious meal but also an unique experience. When at Masterpiece the must share dishes will be the mashed garlic cucumber, the fried eggplant, the tripe plate (the only tripe dish I will ever eat), and the fish stews. At Shoya Izakaya you get to share incredible japanese cuisine with friends. “Izakaya” style restaurants are comparable to “tapas” style restaurants in Spain meaning small dishes are shared with friends and family. The sushi rolls are and the fried squid balls are a must.

A privilege in the city is that there are many places to bike and walk around in. Although it may be challenging to get from one place to another by car or bike we do have a lot of parks and walking trails in the city in the forest. Just to name a few of my favorite’s: Westside Reservoir Park, Piedmont Park, Grant Park, the linear parks in Midtown, etc.

When it comes to the weekend , we would start the morning off with a run on the eastside beltline and end at Harbor Coffee in Inman Park for a cortado or cappuccino, then walk along the Freedom Parkway trail to Condesa Coffee for lunch and another coffee (guilty of too much coffee, yes…). Anything on the condesa menu is delicious… from the home made yogurt parfait to the breakfast sandwiches to the Alon’s Bakery Pastries.

Sunday morning Grant Park farmers market run, and hoping that the french pastry chef Remy pops up. About twice a month, Remy will let his instagram crowd know when he will pop up with the most buttery, flakey pastries you will ever see. (IG: @RemyMade)

Last and most important trait of Atlanta is the food pop-up scene which brings an unique International experience to Atlanta. Many first, second, third generation expats but also locals share their roots through the love of food. The memories of grandma cooking, and grandpa gardening. Just to name a few; SOSOFED, BraveWojtek, Its Mighty Hans, MASA, Three Lolas Bakeshop, Chouxmaker, lefties, and many more.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
James: I would like to dedicate this to my wife, Laura. The first time i had a Belgian waffle was at her home in Belgium and they were made by her mother. Without her, we wouldn’t have this business and it would not be where it is today. Both Laura and I have a love for food and cooking for others. Its brought complete joy to my life that I can share this experience with my partner and my fellow Americans.

Laura:

Website: https://wafel-wagen.square.site

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewafelwagen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WafelWagen-100476808912372

Image Credits
Pictures are taken by Sarah Htun & Christian Restrepo

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.