Waffle House, a cultural icon, is perhaps best known for it’s 24/7 service. In fact, the restaurants so rarely cease operations that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) even has a Waffle House test — an informal measure of how badly a community has been hit by disaster and how quickly it’s expected to rebound.
As a result, the company also is becoming known as a steadfast community pillar during hurricanes and other natural disasters. But what happens to these restaurants and their employees when the worst happens? HR Dive recently spoke with Pat Warner, director of PR and external affairs at Waffle House, to get an in-depth look at the restaurant’s emergency response philosophy, procedures and logistics.
