Ah, the waffles...
Basically, the waffles came about due to a thread ( This one, in fact! ) in which we were compiling questions members wanted to ask Brandon. Most of the questions people posted in the thread had to do with theories, or small details that might explain theories, or other such trivial things like the nature of the cosmere and Adonalsium.
Naturally, such a serious topic needed someone to come in and pop the serious bubbles. Fortunately, I am never without a pin. Being a longtime fan of waffles, I was curious if they existed in the Final Empire. And so, I asked, along with some other vital questions that others have deemed "silly".
Some time later, I forget how long exactly, Rubix and firstRainbowRose came back and informed me that Brandon had confirmed that, yes, there are waffles on Scadrial. ( The glorius proof. )
This was huge, as you can clearly tell. The biggest theory on the site, confirmed without even a hint of a RAFO. The waffle is representative of our tenacity, of our accumulated knowledge, of all of our hopes and dreams for the cosmere. Every nook is to be explored, excavated, fishing out the delicious goodness of discovery, while still keeping sight of the whole. New members are thus greeted with a waffle, a sign that we wish to share the fruits of our efforts with them, to welcome them into the fold, to encourage them to spread the butter of their experiences and drizzle the syrup of their insight upon our boards, thus enriching us all with their flaky newness.
Not to mention the fact (FACT!) that waffles are freakin' delicious.
Hopefully, this was of some help to you.