Lana Del Ray, our beloved melancholy singer, was spotted behind the counter at Waffle House this July. An Instagram picture of a fan with Lana in Florence, Alabama went viral after fans noticed her dressed in a Waffle House uniform. What made the social media picture stand out even more was her very own ‘Lana’ name tag. Videos on Twitter even showed her pouring a cup of coffee, appearing as if she was waiting tables. How could this be? I don’t know about you but this summer I went on a Google hunt trying to decipher this puzzle. Was it a PR move to promote a new album or perhaps Lana’s new career? Her music has a sort of dark allure to it, just like Miss Lana herself. It seemed like any possibility could be the truth.
Firstly, why Florence, Alabama? Out of all the Waffle Houses, why is she at this one in particular? It is known that the singer has family and friends in the town due to the lyrics of her song, “Paris Texas.” The lyrics write: “Then I went to see some friends of mine down in Florence, Alabama.” Fans were predicting that if not a publicity stunt for her new album she could just be taking up different jobs close to loved ones. After all, she was with family while at the restaurant. Lana’s brother, Charlie Grant, was spotted sitting at one of the Waffle House tables.
Lana Del Ray is known for her elegance but at the same time is the type of girl to drink coffee from a gas station. In interviews, Lana is casual. She has been seen chatting with a Diet Coke in hand and a turquoise vape in another. It is not too far out to suggest a simple life is what she wanted after all.
Whether you saw it on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Lana del Ray in her Waffle House uniform could be found. Fans and Waffle House workers were delighted to meet her and snag a picture. A local Waffle House employee, LaShawn D. Tuttle, posted with Lana, not in uniform. The author of the post commented “At the Great American Thrift Store in Florence TRUTH ! SHE IS AWESOME!!!” leading us to think that Lana has been quick to make new friends. The smiling picture proves Lana to be the charismatic person we love.
A series of posts on Instagram show Lana in her element, and we can also clearly hear her call out to her brother Charlie saying “Don’t film him” while handing what looks like a check to a customer. It is surprising how comfortable Lana seems working at the store. She makes coffee with ease and is documented chatting with locals.
Luckily, the conspiracy theories are over. On Sept. 20 Lana Del Ray interviewed with the Hollywood Reporter and did not spare us any details. It is relayed that while Lana was at the restaurant with her family, the servers asked the table if they wanted shirts. In response, Lana agreed enthusiastically, “Hell yeah!” The whole situation was only a couple of hours long and became an amusing experience for the singer. She got to play server for the day. The manager suggested that she serve a customer his regular order; Coke with no ice and an empty cup for chewing tobacco. Additionally, on July 20 a Facebook post revealed Lana also pouring coffee for another guest. Pictures taken of this event drove fans to be convinced of her Waffle House employment.
When speaking on the matter Lana now laughs. Although the situation was not nearly as serious or planned out as fans thought it was, Lana caught major attention. After the post went viral, she woke up to thousands of text messages asking about Waffle House. She says texts were from people she had not heard from in years. In fact, she wishes that her latest album gained as much attention as her shift at Waffle House did. Whether she’s releasing a new album or whipping up food at Waffle House, I’ll be sure to see what the singer is up to next.