Will Waffle House Honor Hero Who Disarmed Gunman—With a Vegan Waffle?

PETA Asks Restaurant Chain to Add New Dish in Homage to James Shaw Jr.

For Immediate Release:
April 30, 2018

Contact:
Audrey Shircliff 202-483-7382

After hearing reports that James Shaw Jr.—who’s been hailed as a hero after disarming a shooter at an Antioch Waffle House and raising more than $200,000 for the victims’ families—is vegan, PETA sent a letter urging Waffle House executives to honor him by introducing a vegan waffle to the menu.

“James Shaw Jr. is a hero to Waffle House’s diners and staff and the countless animals he spares by choosing vegan meals,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “His bravery and active stance against violence have inspired people around the world, and PETA hopes they’ll inspire Waffle House to start offering delicious egg- and dairy-free waffles in his honor.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—is also sending Waffle House’s CEO, Walter Ehmer, samples of vegan waffle mix for inspiration.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA’s letter to Waffle House follows.

April 30, 2018

Walter G. Ehmer

President and CEO

Waffle House, Inc.

Dear Mr. Ehmer,

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 6.5 million members and supporters worldwide to suggest that Waffle House add a vegan waffle to its menu in honor of Nashville hero James Shaw Jr., who is reportedly vegan, for his brave, swift action that recently spared the lives of your patrons and staff. By dishing out delicious vegan waffles, Waffle House can promote compassion and nonviolence to all its customers.

Not only did Shaw save the lives of his fellow diners with his heroism, he also spares animals’ lives every day through his vegan diet. Cows, chickens, and pigs are intelligent, sensitive animals, yet billions of them are exploited and killed for food in the U.S. every year. They’re often raised on filthy factory farms, where they’re subjected to extreme crowding, routine mutilations without any pain relief, a terrifying trip to the slaughterhouse, and a violent, painful death. In egg factories, workers cut off a large portion of hens’ beaks with burning-hot blades, and male chicks—who are considered worthless to the egg industry—are suffocated or thrown into high-speed grinders while they’re still alive. In the dairy industry, cows’ bodies become exhausted as they’re forcibly bred over and over again, only to have each calf torn away from them within a day of birth, causing both the mothers and the babies extreme distress. Every person who goes vegan becomes a lifesaving hero actively standing up to violence—just like Shaw.

We hope his bravery and compassion will encourage Waffle House to add vegan waffles to its menu. There are already a variety of delicious vegan waffle mixes on the market, including Aunt Jemima Original Pancake & Waffle Mix, Bob’s Red Mill Organic 7 Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix, and many others! For inspiration, we’ll be sending along a few samples—as well as a carton of Silk Original Soymilk and The Neat Egg vegan egg replacer.

Sincerely,

Tracy Reiman

Executive Vice President