‘Stay tuned!’ Florida governor candidate considers returning to Waffle House despite ban

ORLANDO, Fla. – Over a month after a Florida gubernatorial candidate announced that he was banned from every Waffle House in the state, he is now considering making a return.

The candidate — Republican challenger James Fishback — initially released a statement early last month after he claimed the fast-food chain had barred him from all Florida Waffle House locations.

“In January, I announced on The Tucker Carlson Show that I would visit every Waffle House in Florida to meet voters where they are. I was grateful that Waffle House Corporate gave us permission to do exactly that.

This morning, Waffle House abruptly revoked our permission, and criminally trespassed us from all of their Florida locations.

I am disappointed in Waffle House’s decision, especially since they had given us explicit permission to visit their restaurants just 3 weeks ago.

I want to thank the Waffle House staff who greeted me and our supporters with warmth, kindness, and awesome food. I’ll cherish the memories and friends we made at the Waffle Houses in Madison, St. Pete, Bonifay, Marianna, and Jacksonville.

Waffle House can revoke our permission, but they can’t stop our motion. We’ll soon launch the ‘Fishback Waffle Home’ — a no-cost pop-up restaurant coming to select cities across Florida — so we can keep meeting voters over hot coffee and warm waffles."

"STATEMENT BY JAMES FISHBACK ON THE WAFFLE HOUSE TOUR" (March 4, 2026)

Fishback told News 6 that he was told his campaign stops had drawn crowds that were too large for the chain.

But on Tuesday afternoon, Fishback came back to social media with a question for his followers following a recent campaign event in Orlando:

Users gave mixed answers to the post, which received over 6,000 views as of Tuesday evening.

In Florida, simply trespassing is considered a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail.

News 6 has reached out to Fishback for more information and received a two-word response.

“Stay tuned!”

Fishback, a Republican competitor for Ron DeSantis’ position, is campaigning to stop H-1B visas for foreign workers, cancel A.I. data centers, and abolish property taxes, much in the same vein as current Gov. Ron DeSantis.

[RELATED: News 6 interviews David Jolly]

However, he’s also made some eye-catching proposals in recent months, including the following:

• Major Sin Tax: A 50% tax on OnlyFans creators in the state, with funding going toward public education and crisis pregnancy centers
• Mandatory School Uniforms: Required uniforms in all public schools, with families receiving $250 stipends per child to help purchase the necessary clothes
• Mamdani Tax: A $50,000 tax levied on out-of-state buyers trying to purchase a single-family home in Florida
• Homeless Sweep: Sending the National Guard to remove every single homeless person from Florida’s streets
• High School Graduation: Requiring students to get up in front of class and explain who their favorite president is and why for five minutes without notes

[RELATED: Byron Donalds on affordability, property taxes]

The primary election is slated for Aug. 18.

Meanwhile, the general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3.