Nina’s Waffles – More than Waffles

When you think of Nina’s Waffles, you probably think of their unique, delicious, signature waffles and ice cream combo. But what truly makes Nina’s special is the story behind the name, and all of the work and sacrifice that went into creating the store in the first place. 

Nina’s Waffles was created by Louis Zanias, who was born in Greece and later grew up in Brussels, Belgium. Louis grew older, and at the age of 17 he immigrated to America. Since childhood, when Louis was eating the 18th century liege waffles during recess at school, it was his dream to bring the food to America for all to enjoy. With time and lots of hard work, Louis’s dream became a reality when Nina’s Waffles, which is named after his youngest daughter, opened in 2012. His former experience in the restaurant business gave him much insight into achieving major success from the food industry, but Nina’s Waffles is truly special by itself. Today, there are stores in Newtown, New Hope Mechanic Street, New Hope Main Street, Peddler’s Village, and Doylestown.

Another special trait of Nina’s, is their uncompromising dedication to high quality products. They pasteurize their very own ice cream base at their dairy plant right here in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The hand cooked liege style waffles are made from their in-house recipe. It is even said that many Belgian natives visit their stores and swear Nina’s is better than many served in their homeland. They even take their ice cream and waffle combo on the road in their waffle trucks to events like weddings, graduations, birthdays, fundraisers, corporate events, and more. As if it couldn’t get any better, they go as far as to make their own dough in their in-store bakery, and import the sugar that goes into it from Belgium. Unlike other sugar, this imported product doesn’t burn at high temperatures, but instead becomes caramelized, which is what provides the customers with a delightful aromatic experience.

Louis Zanias’s duaghter, Nina, who the store is named after, explained what it was like growing up with Louis as her father, saying, “It was a really cool part of my life. I loved, and still love, everything about the waffle shop. When my dad was first creating the waffles, I was trying a new kind of waffle every week, until he perfected it.” She added, “He has been truly working hard his whole life. He has been an entrepreneur since he came to America when he was 17. There were many projects before Nina’s Waffles that were not quite so successful.”

The hard work definitely seems to have paid off, as customers of Nina’s Waffles only have positive things to say about the shop. Pennridge senior, Lauren McIntyre, says she enjoys “the taste and smell of the waffles,” and, “how the location is tucked away, making it more of a locals’ spot.”