If there’s one thing more Atlanta than OutKast, it might be Waffle House, and now the two are joining forces.
The legendary hip-hop duo and the diner chain are collaborating on a new merchandise collection, complete with OutKast references and plenty of Waffle House yellow.
Waffle House teased the release Tuesday, posting a photo of one of its signs with the words “Gator belts and patty melts,” a line from OutKast’s 2000 song “So Fresh, So Clean.”
The post offered little explanation, but it didn’t take long for the mystery to unravel.
The collection includes T-shirts, a hoodie, socks, a bucket hat and a baseball jersey. Some of the designs feature group members André 3000 and Big Boi in Waffle House uniforms.
The merch goes on sale at 11 a.m. EST Friday on OutKast’s website. But fans in Atlanta can do more than shop the collaboration.
The Waffle House at 135 Andrew Young International Blvd NW is hosting a celebration for the launch Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST. It is set to feature a live DJ, limited-edition collaboration merchandise and special André 3000 and Big Boi meals.
Guests will also be able to pick up free Waffle House x OutKast souvenir menus and complimentary coupons.
OutKast emerged from Atlanta’s hip-hop scene in the 1990s, while Waffle House was founded in the Atlanta suburb of Avondale Estates in 1955.
OutKast’s 1996 debut album, “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik,” helped establish André 3000 and Big Boi as major names in hip-hop. The duo followed it with “ATLiens,” which turns 30 this year.
OutKast was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2025 with other hits, including “Hey Ya,” “Roses” and “The Way You Move.”
The latest collaboration comes months after Waffle House got into the World Cup spirit with a temporary retail shop in downtown Atlanta.
The chain, which has about 2,000 locations across the South, sold Waffle House-branded soccer balls, jerseys and patriotic merchandise at the pop-up. In a statement at the time, the chain said it was pleased by the response from international visitors, saying it was “honored by the enthusiasm and curiosity” shown by fans checking out the shop.
