House of Waffles Opens on Paterson Street in New Brunswick

Marcus Cosgile was excited to explore New Brunswick after moving here last May, but he had trouble finding a place to have breakfast.

So, the man who considers himself a waffle enthusiast was inspired to open his own place.

House of Waffles at 50 Paterson St. had its soft opening on Thursday, April 16.

Cosgile and his wife and partner, Krystal Ortiz, opened at 6 a.m., and everyone who orders a signature drink will get a free waffle and each order of waffles will come with a free hot coffee.

Although Cosgile and Ortiz are planning an extensive menu with bacon, egg and cheese sammies, chicken and waffles with various sauces, a variety of delicious coffee and specialty flavored waffles such as the churro waffle, the cornerstone of the menu will be the humble golden waffle.

Their waffles are light and airy, with a hint of sweetness - made from a recipe he has been using to whip up breakfast for his friends and family for about 20 years

His love of waffles goes back to when he was a kid, playing basketball on some high-profile youth teams that traveled across the country. Each morning, he'd mosey on up to the hotel's continental breakfast bar only to find bland eggs, rubbery bacon and sad-looking bagels.

"But then you had the waffle iron where you could make your own waffles," Cosgile said. "So, that's where my love of waffles started. Then I started making my own batter at home. I realized, 'Wow, this is pretty good batter.'"

His loved ones agreed, and he's been using the same batter ever since.

The restaurant was quiet on Wednesday afternoon, aside from the hum of a refrigerator. Inside, easy-pour containers of maple syrup were obediently stationed at each table. QR codes waited to be scanned, revealing the full extent of the menu. The aroma of waffles lingered in the air - Cosgile had just wrapped up a training session with a new employee.

Converting the space at 50 Paterson St. into a restaurant started in November. The landlord was using it just to store some boxes, so it needed a lot of work from the floor tiles up.

Cosgile and Ortiz, both former personal trainers, have spent a lot of time and money to get this place into shape. The walls and tin-tile roof have been painted a matte black, there's a band of neon pink lighting running around the place and a large halo-shaped chandelier gives off a soft light from the middle of the room.

He said he wants the vibe of the place to feel cozy.

Of the $100,000 or so they've spent to renovate the place, perhaps the most interesting investment they've made is the $3,000 they have plunked down for a cast-iron, dual-head waffle maker. Yeah, you won't find a brushed stainless steel model in this kitchen.

Cosgile said the hardest part of getting House of Waffles ready wasn't creating the menu or hiring a crew. No, it was forever trying to wrangle the contractors, who were either snowbound by one of the winter storms or taking an unexpected vacation with their family.

"I've come on as a partner to help support the vision and do a lot of the logistical things, kind of like back end, administrative stuff, but definitely right there with the vision and kind of just like supporting the whole idea of it," Ortiz said.

House of Waffles at 50 Paterson St. will be open Mondays through Fridays, 6 am. to 2 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be closed Sundays.

Click here to preview the menu. 

Story and Photo Credit: Chuck O'Donnell