Location: Atlanta, GA
Joey Chestnut broke the world reccord of 18.5 large waffles at exactly ten minutes and 23 seconds into the 12 minute match. From there it was just a scramble to see how many he could add to his history making effort.
Chestnut faced some of the greatest talent in America during the Waffle House World Waffle-Eating Championship, which was held in Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta, GA. To his right was Sonya Thomas, the 100-pound eating phenom from Virginia who holds 27 world titles. To his left was Chip Simpson, a rising rookie seeking to make his bones on the eating circuit.
Simpson was on a tear, having just won the National Buffalo Wing Festival's wing-eating contest by eating 158 chicken wings in 12 minutes and setting a new world record.
At the Waffle House event, Chestnut established an early lead of 1.5 Buttermilk Waffles and held to it for the bulk of the contest. But in the final three minutes, Thomas made a run for it, briefly pulling even with Chestnut, the number-two-ranked eater in the world.
However, as the seconds ticked down Chestnut picked up speed and ended with a total of 23 Waffle House Waffles in 12 minutes, approximatley 7.5 pounds not counting water. Thomas ate 21 waffles and Simpson consumed 18.
Also competing were veterans Crazy Legs Conti, Super Paul Barlow, Larry McNeil and Loren Yarbrough.
For his effort, Chestnut won $5,000. Thomas will take home $1500, and Simpson walks away with $1000.
Headquartered in Norcross, GA, Waffle House has been serving Good Food Fast® since 1955. Today the Waffle House system operates 1,500 in 25 states and is the world’s leading server of waffles, t-bone steaks, hash browns, cheese ‘n eggs, country ham, pork chops and grits.