After 52 years, State College’s Original Waffle Shop owners retire. Here’s what’s next
Two beloved State College breakfast and lunch restaurants have changed ownership after more than five decades in business.
State College’s Original Waffle Shop restaurants, located at 1229 N. Atherton St. and 1610 W. College Ave., are officially under new management. The change arrives amid the retirement of longtime owners John and Lisa Dimakopoulos, who also run The Greek restaurant at 102 E. Clinton Ave. in State College.
“After 52 years, it is simply time to reflect on our lives,” John Dimakopoulos wrote in a statement. “We hope to enjoy time with our family, our friends and our community from the other side of the service counter.”
Chris Paret will serve as the new owner and operator of the Original Waffle Shop restaurants. He and his wife, Michelle, are Penn State graduates who have lived in State College for more than 20 years.
Paret began working in the restaurant industry as a teenager. Before taking ownership of State College’s Original Waffle Shop restaurants, he worked as a multi-franchise owner of Subway locations in State College, DuBois and Brookville.
Paret told the Centre Daily Times he will work hard to maintain the Original Waffle Shop restaurants’ status as a community staple.
“They’ve built such a wonderful place with wonderful staff that supports the community, and given that I’ve been in State College for most of my life, I’m honored to have that opportunity to continue that tradition,” said Paret, who took over as owner on Friday. “John, Lisa and their son Ryan, who was very active in the business, too, have been great to me as I take over. They’re working very hard to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible for their customers and staff.”
Longtime Original Waffle Shop customers should note Paret plans to keep both restaurants running like usual. His favorite dish is the S3 quick-start special: two large eggs paired with home fries, two strips of bacon and a toasted English muffin.
“I know customers are going to be asking, ‘Are you changing anything?’ The answer is no,” he said. “Everything is going to stay the same. It’s just a matter of continuing to be an excellent employer in the region and supporting our customers and employees. It’s our goal to continue offering value for the quality of product we have.”
In a statement, the Dimakopouloses said they began making arrangements years ago to step aside from their decades-long run at the Waffle shop. They sought to find a new owner who was connected to State College, had experience running a restaurant and “expressed humility in the opportunity they would have as curators of the institution known as The Original Waffle Shops.”
“Our focus was to find a new owner who would continue in a manner we believed served the customers, the community and the employees as well, and maybe even better,” the Dimakopouloses wrote.
Both Original Waffle Shop locations are open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. The restaurants accept orders online through their shared website.
The Dimakopouloses’ retirement marks the latest change of ownership among State College-area Waffle Shop restaurants. Greg Kight, the longtime owner of the Bellefonte and downtown State College Waffle Shops, sold the restaurants to Duane Reese in March 2023. Dimakopoulos originally owned all four Waffle Shop restaurants in the area.
This story was originally published January 10, 2025 at 11:36 AM.
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