Smash'd Waffle House is quickly growing beyond owner Adam Smith's expectations of a modest eatery as the rapidly expanding breakfast destination is generating steady month-over-month revenue four months after opening its doors.

Financially, the business has exceeded his expectations, Smith says. The restaurant generated about $4,500 in revenue its first month, about $10,000 the second month, and reached $23,000 by its fourth month of operation. Revenue currently is increasing between 25% and 30% each month, he says.

Smash'd Waffle House, operating at 851 S. Main in Deer Park, opened in February after Smith purchased a coffee shop to expand a separate business: Smash Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy, located at 847 S. Main. 

"It wasn't that I wanted to get into the food industry," Smith says. "I just wanted to expand my jiu-jitsu school, and this space could be used by parents as a waiting area while kids we're in class."

The space functioned as a waiting area with a small coffee shop at first, but Smith eventually opened the business to the public.

"I had the location for almost a year and it worked great as a waiting room," Smith says. "I realized that if I was going to use the space, I needed it to make money and brought food service into the model."

Smith added a single waffle maker to give customers an option of having something to eat with their coffee, he says. That simple addition changed the direction of the business.

After struggling to make waffles himself, a mother of one of his martial arts students introduced her grandmother's homemade waffle recipe to Smith. The recipe quickly became the foundation of the restaurant's menu, and she became his first employee.

"We started with one waffle maker. Now we have six, and they all run on that secret recipe," he says.

Since opening, the business has been rebranded from FloState Cafe to Smash'd Waffle House, tying the restaurant to Smith's existing Smash Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brand and his former MMA nickname, Adam "Smash" Smith.

The restaurant's signature menu item is its smashed breakfast waffle, featuring bacon, eggs, cheese, and tater tots pressed directly into a waffle. The concept evolved from an idea Smith saw online before modifying it into the restaurant's signature offering.

Sweet waffles also are popular at the new eatery, including blueberry lemon, apple pie, and fresh strawberry varieties. Toppings and fillings are prepared daily using fresh ingredients, Smith adds. 

Smith, who lives in Deer Park, credits word-of-mouth for fueling the restaurant's growth. 

"We've spent zero dollars in marketing," Smith says. "Every month we continue to grow simply by putting out a good product and having supportive customers."

The restaurant employs 10 part-time workers, including several high school students. As demand increases, Smash'd Waffle House adjusts its operating hours from three days a week to seven days a week. Its workforce needs have grown from one employee per shift to as many as four during busy weekends, Smith says.

Creating employment opportunities for young people has become one of the most rewarding aspects of the business, he explains.

"Youth empowerment plays a huge part in everything I do," Smith says. "As a community, we need to make sure we have opportunities for teens to grow and learn through work and experience." 

Customers are enjoying the restaurant's open kitchen, where meals are prepared in full view while employees receive hands-on training. Families often gather around the cooking area, creating an atmosphere that feels both entertaining and welcoming, says Smith.

"People say it's fun to be in here," he says. "It's like the Japanese teppanyaki-style restaurants where everything is cooked in front of you."

Looking ahead, Smith is planning further expansion.

Within the next year, he expects to relocate his martial arts academy into a newly constructed facility elsewhere in Deer Park. The move would allow Smash'd Waffle House to expand into the academy's existing space, increasing the restaurant from 1,500 square feet to 6,000 square feet by combining the neighboring spaces.

As envisioned, the expanded restaurant would include additional family seating, dedicated children's areas, and evening service featuring dessert waffles topped with ice cream, Smith says. Future menu ideas include pizza waffles, BLT waffles, cornbread waffles, and seasonal creations such as a Thanksgiving-inspired waffle featuring turkey, stuffing, and gravy.

Longer term, Smith says he hopes to open Smash'd Waffle House locations throughout North Idaho, including in Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene, and eventually exploring franchising opportunities.

"We're creating fun, innovative things," Smith says. "I think that's what's going to take us to the next level."

Smith owns two Smash Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academies at 1100 S. Garfield Road in west Spokane, and at 11315 E. Sprague in Spokane Valley.  He also owns 11 acres near Deer Park Airport, where he's planning to develop a new facility.

"We will be building out a community and athletic complex with spaces for physical therapy, dance, a drive-thru coffee shop, and a new restaurant," Smith says. "We are finishing up designs and plan on starting construction in the fall."