When we bit into a freshly baked hot waffle on a stick at Bandra flea market in 2014, a few more irresistible bites followed. That year, Waffle House made its entry into offline hot waffle stores with a host of tempting combinations. By 2019, they had 25 outlets across India and by March 2020, they had signed a deal with a multiplex platform for 300 screens. But the pandemic had other plans. Overnight, they ran out of business.

Founders Nidhi Gadia and her husband Harsh Gadia, regrouped and began to work on a 2.0 version; this time, renaming Waffle House as Nova Nova, to accommodate more products. Last week, we stepped into their central kitchen in Goregaon East; the space exudes the sweet aroma of fresh waffles. Tables are filled with trays of different products at various stages of production. Bars are dipped in chocolate; cookies get a sprinkle, and tarts are being packed. They offer 200 products on their website, but our trip was largely focused on one product — Best Bites. These are chocolate-filled mini-cones that every ice cream lover looks forward too, and wishes there was more of the triangular sweet ending.