Grammy-Nominated Musician Lana Del Rey Explains Why She Was Seen Working at Waffle House

It's not every day that the residents of Florence, AL—a small city in the state's far north—get served by a famous musician, but that's exactly what happened a few months ago when multi-Platinum singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey was spotted waiting tables at the local Waffle House. Now, she's finally explained what was going on.

In a since-viral video posted back in July, Lana was seen behind the counter, pouring coffee, and even wearing a Waffle House uniform complete with a custom name tag. Fans and detractors alike were bemused, wondering why exactly an artist who has sold over 10 million albums was working at the local greasy spoon.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lana explained that it all happened by accident. She has family ties to the area and was spending a ton of time at the Waffle House with her siblings when she was offered a uniform.

“We were on our third hour, and the servers asked, ‘Do you guys want shirts?’ ” she recalled. “Hell yeah! We were thrilled.”

Lana said she didn't really work a full shift, but did help the waitresses out. "This guy, a regular, comes in every day and orders two things, so they were like, ‘Just go get it for him!’ I brought him a Coke. No ice. And an empty cup. For dip,” she said. “I didn’t see anyone take a video of me.”

As for how viral the moment became? She was amused, if confused. "I wish my album had gone as viral," she said. "I woke up to, like, 10,000 texts the next morning—some from folks I had not heard from for 10 years. 'Saw your picture at the Waffle House!' I was like, 'Did you hear the new album?'”

Lana will be playing the nearby Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, AL later this month. Maybe fans should look for her at the Waffle House afterwards.