Gwinnett toddler has 3rd birthday party at Waffle House

Lawson Cooper celebrated his third birthday at a Buford Waffle House.

Credit: Ashley Donahue

Credit: Ashley Donahue

Lawson Cooper celebrated his third birthday at a Buford Waffle House.

One Gwinnett County toddler loves Waffle House so much, he dedicated his third birthday party to the Norcross-based restaurant chain.

Lawson Cooper, the third of four children, has eaten at Waffle House with his family for most of his life and has already settled on his regular order: a waffle, a sausage patty and a hard-boiled egg, according to his mom, Natalie Cooper.

“He’s been eating it since he’s had teeth,” Natalie said.

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But just as much as the food, Lawson loves the servers’ aprons, adorned with pins and buttons, Natalie said.

As Lawson’s birthday approached, Natalie got an idea: What about a Waffle House-themed party?

Lawson jumped at the idea.

“Sure! I get pins and waffles,” he told his mom.

In order to create the full picture, Natalie got an apron and visor embroidered to match the Waffle House waitstaff, and a friend who works at the Norcross headquarters sent over a name tag declaring Lawson the official birthday boy.

Originally, the plan was to have the party at home with breakfast food, but Natalie thought it would be fun for kids to play music on the jukebox and watch the cooks work the grill. With a cake and a few balloons, a small group of friends and family showed up at the Waffle House on Buford Drive on Aug. 11 and had a party.

“He definitely loved it,” said Ashley Donahue, a family friend and photographer who took pictures of the event.  “He’s a very quiet little guy, but you could tell he was having a blast.”

Since the party, Lawson has barely taken off his toddler-sized Waffle House uniform, Natalie said.

“I think he’s going to dress as a Waffle House employee forever,” Natalie said. “He’s a weird little dude.”

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