Once upon a time, in a land far, far away an insurance salesman in Portland, Oregon decided to try his hand in the restaurant business.

In 1938 Gene Waddle and his wife, Natha bought a little restaurant in the American Bank Building in downtown Portland. It was a start. A little while later, Gene and Natha moved to Bend, OR where he operated the Trailways Bus Depot coffee shop. These two experiences led up to the building of his “landmark” restaurant, Waddle’s Drive In Coffee Shop at Jantzen Beach in 1945.

Gene Waddle's survival and growth were a true testament to his business savvy, hard work and determination. After all, this was the era of the "Great Depression" and WWII.