A North Hollywood-based breakfast spot beloved by celebrities has expanded to Long Beach.
It’s called & Waffles, and Comedian Gabriel Iglesias — who grew up in Long Beach — recommended they open up a location in Downtown Long Beach, which is how the restaurant landed on Pine Avenue near Ocean Boulevard in the former Pier 76 location, said co-owner Serge Damadyan.
Photos with Steve Carell, Dwayne Wade, Quavo, Jo Koy, Iglesias and Tom Segura adorn the walls inside the restaurant.
True to the & Waffles name, a side of waffles can be ordered with any dish. Breakfast and lunch are served all day.
Favorite dishes include the cajun fried chicken and waffles, a waffle cheeseburger and the decadent churro waffle.
Serge and his brother Raffi Damadyan, who runs the kitchen, are following in their father’s footsteps.
For four decades, starting in the late ’80s, Edward Damadyan ran a handful of restaurants called Primo Burgers in Los Angeles.
The brothers worked for their dad from age 14 to 18, then headed out on their own paths. When an injury derailed his physical therapy career, Serge found himself working at a rental car company but the restaurant business was beckoning him back.
He talked it over with his dad, who had since sold his locations and was looking for another venture to invest in.
The brothers came up with a menu focused on the Belgian waffles they remembered loving at their father’s diners.
“It was so underrated,” Serge said. “It was called Primo Burgers so nobody knew how good the waffle was.”
One of Serge’s cousins suggested the name for the restaurant, which opened its first location in 2017, and another cousin designed the logo.
The brothers have added some new twists to their dad’s expertise. They marinate the chicken for a full day before frying, making it juicier and more flavorful, Serge said.
A couple of months after opening the first location on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, Serge got his brother Raffi to agree to run the kitchen.
A few years later, the restaurant expanded to a second location in Woodland Hills.
Serge now commutes daily to Long Beach from the San Fernando Valley, but he said he’s adjusted to the lengthy drive by spending more time Downtown to dodge peak traffic. He recently signed up for the 24-Hour Fitness down the street, started dining at neighboring restaurants and began networking with the owners.
Serge said he hopes to add another picture to the wall in the Downtown eatery soon, one with Long Beach legend Snoop Dogg.
& Waffles, 95 Pine Ave., is open every day from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.