Breakfast at Waffle House has inspired plenty of stories over the years, but this one never made it past the front door. An 84-year-old Florida man is suing the restaurant chain, claiming he suffered serious injuries after a window advertisement distracted him just as he approached the entrance, causing him to trip over what the lawsuit describes as a dangerously high curb.
According to WFLA, Edward Bowlds of Bartow says the incident occurred on April 17, 2025, while he and his wife were entering a local Waffle House. The complaint notes that Bowlds noticed a promotional display for the restaurant's limited-edition Strawberry Shortcake Waffle while crossing the parking lot. As he looked toward the advertisement, he allegedly stepped onto an "abnormally high" curb that lacked paint, markings, or any warning indicating the change in elevation, causing him to fall.
The lawsuit argues the problem was the combination of the curb and the marketing. Bowlds claims the restaurant deliberately positioned oversized window advertisements to catch customers’ attention as they were already walking toward the entrance, without taking adequate steps to make the walkway itself safer. He alleges the fall left him with permanent injuries, pain and suffering, and lasting medical issues.
"These advertisements in the window were of a size, placement, and orientation that they are clearly meant to attract the attention of customers who were already parked," the lawsuit states.
It also argues that "there is no need for the advertisements to be displayed in such a manner as it unreasonably increases the risk of a trip and fall by a customer already going to enter the restaurant."
The complaint further alleges there were no warnings alerting patrons to the curb, no contrasting paint, or no indication of the potential hazard posed by the combination of the curb and the eye-level display.
Bowlds is seeking damages, court costs, interest, and any additional relief the court considers appropriate. He has also requested a jury trial.
While the Bartow case is unusual, it's hardly the first time Waffle House has found itself at the center of an eyebrow-raising lawsuit. In recent years, the chain has faced litigation involving a man who allegedly worked for months as a cook despite never being hired, a family who sued after 911 dispatchers reportedly sent police to the wrong Waffle House during an emergency, and another customer who claimed he was bear-sprayed, stunned with a Taser, and zip-tied during a dispute over a Hash Brown Bowl.
