MIAMI — You know it’s bad when the Waffle House closes.
The 24/7 greasy spoons are known for keeping open no matter what comes their way. Nothing can stop a plate of smothered hash browns, right?
But sometimes, the weather is too much to bear.
That was the case five years ago in Davie, Florida, when Hurricane Irma blew out a window at the Waffle House near Interstate 595. The restaurant had to close until the place was boarded up and fixed.
And in Bradenton in 2017, a Waffle House shuttered before the winds even picked up.
Yes, there is a Waffle House index.
The home of the All-Star Special has been codified with colors:
— Green: Waffle House is serving a full menu and electricity is on.
— Yellow: a limited menu, implying low food supplies and possibly the necessity of using generators.
— Red: Waffle House has closed.
A former FEMA chief used the status of the breakfast chains locations as an indicator for how quickly a place is likely to spring back after a hurricane. Waffle House locations are generally open round the clock, and under the Waffle House index, a closed breakfast spot is not a good thing.
