Smashed Waffles opening its first Triangle spot in Raleigh

It’s waffle o’clock on Hillsborough Street.

Smashed Waffles will open its first Triangle location the afternoon of Jan. 30, slinging crispy, fluffy Belgian breakfast fare all day from its spot at 2304 Hillsborough St., near NC State.

Founders Justin Cox and Hunter Harrison launched the Greenville-based company a year ago as Smash Waffles, a waffle delivery service, and opened its first cafe there in November. In Raleigh, they’ve been making waffles since March out of Pizza La Stella on Fayetteville Street, but this will be their first local cafe.

In something of waffle disrupt move, Smashed Waffles makes its offerings about the size of a doughnut so they can be eaten by hand. The original flavors include options with powdered sugar, icing, chocolate chips and cereal.

They’re also making savory sandwiches (with fried chicken, or egg with bacon or sausage) and dessert waffles with ice cream.

The Hillsborough Street spot, next door to a future Taco Bell Cantina, will also have a full coffee bar, including kegs of nitro cold brew and lattes topped with such things as bacon, pecans and cookies.

“This expansion keeps us true to our vision of showing the world that the waffle can be not only an amazing breakfast item or, in our case, an alternative to the doughnut, but we want to prove that waffles are the new bread,” Cox in a news release.

A portion of proceeds from coffee sales will benefit families affected by autism.

The Raleigh location will be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 6 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

A location in Durham near the Streets at Southpoint also had been in the works, but a representative said it’s now on hold. The next Smashed Waffles will open early this year in Wilmington.

This story was originally published January 29, 2018 at 7:15 PM with the headline "Smashed Waffles opening its first Triangle spot in Raleigh."