OH SH*T. Waffle House Closes 365 Locations Due To Coronavirus

The Waffle House Index is an informal measure of disaster severity.

Waffle House has incredible resiliency plans including limited menus to maintain minimal operation. So for them to close? Like, actually close?

That’s a Big Deal. https://t.co/pnVi7d1nMY

— Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) March 25, 2020

I know it sounds ridiculous.

But Waffle House isn’t a normal restaurant chain. It’s one that serves Hurricane Country & practices its disaster plans at least annually. It’s a chain that has trailer-restaurants ready to roll into devestated areas to restore service ASAP.

— Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) March 25, 2020

365 Waffle House locations closed would usually mean 365 locations at Level Red on the Waffle House Index.

But the index is for storm damage, where closing down is a proxy for severe damage & flooding.

It hasn’t been calibrated to a pandemic before.

— Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) March 25, 2020

FEMA uses Waffle Houses as an informal metric of distress, called the Waffle House Index. 365 Waffle Houses are now closed for #coronavirus . https://t.co/szcGj2RN5T

— Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) March 25, 2020

#WaffleHouseIndexRed: 365 Waffle House restaurants closed. 1,627 open. pic.twitter.com/DhPtcI0Byd

— Waffle House (@WaffleHouse) March 24, 2020