The Waffle House Index

Waffle House is mostly known for the antics that occur there late at night between drunken customers. Oh yeah, and it is also known for cheap comfort food served in an inviting atmosphere. Even Anthony Bourdain loved the place.^[1]

But there is a little known and informal metric that most diners have no idea of. The Waffle House Index is an unofficial measurement^[2] used by FEMA^[3] to determine disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

Simply put, if your local Waffle House is closed (with the exception of a remodel), shit has hit the fan and it is time for you to murder your neighbors for their food and gasoline.

The Restaurant

Our support of local communities continues in times of crisis. Waffle House restaurants are a welcoming beacon after a storm or other natural disaster. Our goal is to get open quickly so we can serve our communities in their time of need.^[4]

Since Waffle House was founded in the southern United States, many of the company's restaurants are subjected to harsh weather conditions such as tornadoes and hurricanes. Despite this, Waffle House restaurants attempt to stay open 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. This is because the company wishes to aid local communities in rough times and also provide food when it may be scarce.

When natural disasters occur and local infrastructure is destroyed, Waffle House restaurants will stay open by using generators to create electricity and usually change their menu according to the ingredients they have on hand or can source.

If conditions are bad enough that the restaurant actually closes, the Waffle House Index measures the time it takes the restaurant to re-open. This metric informs government officials about the disaster response of the area local to the Waffle House.

The Index

We aren’t in the food business. We’re in the people business - Joe Rogers, Sr.^[5]

The Waffle House Index is a term coined by the former administrator of FEMA, Craig Fugate. It indicates how prepared a business is in case of a natural disaster.^[6]

GREEN: full menu – Restaurant has power and damage is limited or no damage at all.
YELLOW: limited menu – No power or only power from a generator, or food supplies may be low.
RED: the restaurant is closed – Indicates severe damage or severe flooding. You're fucked.

You can find out just how prepared your Waffle House is, by going to this link.

Additionally, somebody has way too much time on their hands. 7

Not Related

This section deals with a great breakfast that was consummed after a late night of heavy booze comsumption. This article has some important stuff, but this new section is about some good people.

The server was named "Chelsey," or at least that was half true. She had somebody else's name badge on because she had left her old badge in her husband's pants.

The cook, named Dustin, was less than three feet from our table. He could handle a spatula like you never done seen.

The restaurant was not particularly busy, so all the other workers were standing around. Somebody put the jukebox on and played "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes.

A breakfast for that had had the following: 4 over easy eggs, 3 sides of bacon, hashbrowns with extra gravy, fried ham, toast, orange juice and coffee cost around 20 bucks. Chelsey and the gang got a nice tip.

In the bathroom, they not only had paper towels, they also had one of those "XLERATOR®" brand hand dryers. Thing is so powerful, you forget how sticky the floor is and it rips your skin off.

References

mmmmm, The Waffle House Index is a part of a series on Food

[1] ttps://www.delish.com/food-news/a32800477/anthony-bourdain-waffle-house/

[2] ttps://www.accuweather.com/en/accuweather-ready/what-is-the-waffle-house-index/667995

[3] ttps://www.fema.gov/blog/its-little-piece-normal

[4] ttps://www.wafflehouse.com/giving-back/

[5] ttps://www.wafflehouse.com/our-story/

[6] ttps://www.ehstoday.com/emergency-management/article/21906815/what-do-waffles-have-to-do-with-risk-management

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The Waffle House Index

Contents

The Restaurant

The Index

Not Related

References

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The Waffle House Index

The Restaurant

The Index

Not Related

References

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