Short Stuff: Waffle House Index

Summary

Short Stuff: Waffle House Index – A Lifeline in Disaster Preparedness

Episode Details:

• Podcast: Stuff You Should Know
• Episode: Short Stuff: Waffle House Index
• Release Date: February 19, 2025
• Hosts: Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant

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Introduction to the Waffle House Index

In the episode titled "Short Stuff: Waffle House Index," Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant delve into the fascinating concept of the Waffle House Index—a unique disaster preparedness tool developed by FEMA. While Waffle House restaurants are renowned in the South and Southeast for their unwavering commitment to staying open 24/7, the hosts explore how this reliability transcends beyond mere business operations to become a vital community resource during emergencies.

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Waffle House’s Commitment to Staying Open

Josh begins by highlighting the remarkable resilience of Waffle House restaurants:

Josh Clark [01:08]: “The Waffle House Index is possibly the most interesting thing about the chain of what everyone in the south or southeast knows is 247 restaurants that are legendary for staying open against all odds.”

Chuck echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the intentional strategies Waffle House employs to ensure continuous operation:

Chuck Bryant [01:32]: “A lot of restaurants and chains may claim to be open 365 days a year, but the Waffle House in particular prides itself and has taken great, great, great efforts to really stay open.”

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Disaster Preparedness Strategies

The hosts delve into the specific measures Waffle House has institutionalized to remain operational during disasters:

• Limited Menus and Backup Generators: Chuck explains that during crises, Waffle House switches to an official limited menu (referred to internally as Plan B) to manage food shortages and power outages. Most locations are equipped with backup generators, ensuring that customers can still receive hot meals even when the main power grid fails.

  Chuck Bryant [02:02]: “They have a limited menu... they switch to the official limited menu when there are food shortages, when the power's out and stuff like that... most of them, and I'm sure they want to have them all on backup generators.”

• Waffle House Jump Teams: Josh shares insights into the specialized teams that Waffle House deploys during emergencies:

  Josh Clark [03:26]: “They have, like, actual Waffle House jump teams that can show up... They parachute in.”

The playful banter between Josh and Chuck adds a lighter touch to the discussion:

Josh Clark [03:55]: “They do parachute in. And I hope they have better names for these things than Plan B...”

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The Genesis of the Waffle House Index

Chuck provides a historical perspective on how the Waffle House Index was conceptualized:

Chuck Bryant [10:02]: “The Waffle House Index was the brainchild of Craig Fugate, who was the FEMA administrator... he noticed after various hurricanes that Waffle House was one of, if not the only thing open.”

Josh elaborates on the simplicity and effectiveness of the index:

Josh Clark [11:11]: “It's as simple as calling the local Waffle House in Tampa after a hurricane just passed through and saying, are you guys still open? And if they don't answer the phone, there's trouble in that community.”

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Understanding the Color-Coded Index

The Waffle House Index employs a color-coded system to assess the severity of a disaster's impact on a community:

• Green: Indicates that the Waffle House is fully operational, signaling minimal impact on the area.

  Josh Clark [11:11]: “Green is the best part of the index. It means that your Waffle House is totally fine.”

• Yellow: Represents a limited menu operation, typically due to power outages or resource constraints.

  Josh Clark [11:11]: “Yellow has a limited menu and they're probably using a generator.”

• Red: Denotes that the Waffle House is closed, signifying severe damage and the need for immediate FEMA assistance.

  Josh Clark [11:11]: “Red is like, it's closed. The Waffle House is toast. Come here. Because this is the community that's hardest hit.”

Chuck adds that a red status is rare and a critical indicator for disaster response prioritization:

Chuck Bryant [12:08]: “If you do get the red index, that's a really bad sign. FEMA knows that that's where you should go first.”

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Real-World Applications and Stories

Josh recounts a compelling story from Waffle House’s operations during Hurricane Irene in Weldon, North Carolina:

Josh Clark [12:34]: “The Waffle House, the local Waffle House, lost its power, but the gas was still going to the grill. And so the Waffle House stayed open and was cooking for people as long as it was light enough for them to see what they were doing.”

This anecdote underscores the practical application of the Index and Waffle House’s dedication to community support during crises.

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Broader Impact and Industry Comparison

The discussion broadens to include how other companies like Lowe’s and Home Depot also maintain disaster preparedness strategies, positioning themselves as essential services during emergencies. However, Waffle House stands out with its systematic approach encapsulated in the Waffle House Index.

Josh Clark [08:53]: “They're just part of a handful of companies who've essentially made themselves like de facto essential operations for post disaster preparedness stuff.”

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Cultural Significance and Community Role

Towards the end of the episode, Josh and Chuck touch upon the cultural significance of Waffle House beyond disaster scenarios. They emphasize the restaurant’s role as a community hub, especially in the South, where it's more than just a place to eat—it's a symbol of resilience and solidarity.

Chuck humorously invites listeners to experience the quintessential Waffle House atmosphere:

Chuck Bryant [15:46]: “If you've never been. If you're ever in the south, go check out a Waffle House. The coolest, most awesome, fun people work there.”

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Conclusion

Josh and Chuck conclude the episode by reiterating their admiration for the Waffle House Index and its real-world utility, dispelling any notion that it's merely a pop culture reference. Their insightful exploration reveals how a humble restaurant chain has become an integral part of disaster management and community support.

Josh Clark [15:34]: “I love the Waffle House Index. And Waffle House didn't even sponsor this, everybody. That's just how impressed we are with the Waffle House Index.”

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Final Thoughts: The "Short Stuff: Waffle House Index" episode offers an engaging and informative deep dive into how Waffle House’s operational strategies during disasters have not only solidified its reputation but also provided FEMA with a reliable tool to assess and respond to community needs effectively. Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant adeptly blend humor with factual insights, making the complex subject matter accessible and intriguing for all listeners.

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Listen to the Episode: For those interested in understanding more about the Waffle House Index and its implications for disaster preparedness, tune into the episode on the Stuff You Should Know podcast, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

[Jon Stewart]

Jon Stewart is back at the Daily show, and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in politics, entertainment, sports, and more. Joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondents and contributors. And with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline roundups, this podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed, listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Josh Clark]

Hey, and welcome to the Short Stuff. I'm Josh, and there's Chuck. And Jerry's here, too, sitting in for Dave. And we're just cooking it up here at Stuff youf Should Know.

[Chuck Bryant]

That's right. We've talked about Waffle House here and there quite a bit over the years, and I was gonna do a full Waffle House episode that was in the pipeline. Maybe still, but maybe not.

[Josh Clark]

After this, I feel like we've taken a pretty good chunk out of what would have been a Waffle House episode.

[Chuck Bryant]

Agreed.

[Josh Clark]

Because we're talking about the Waffle House Index. And yes, there's plenty of interesting stuff about the Waffle House, but I would argue that the Waffle House Index is possibly the most interesting thing about the chain of what everyone in the south or southeast knows is 247 restaurants that are legendary for staying open against all odds.

[Chuck Bryant]

That's right. And a lot of restaurants and chains may claim to be open 365 days a year, and they, you know, a lot of them are in general, but the Waffle House in particular prides itself and has taken great, great, great efforts to really stay open. Like, it's gotta be a. And as you'll see with the Waffle House Index, if a Waffle House is closed, that is very bad news for the area that that place is in because they stay open at all costs.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah. And they don't just stay open at all costs because they couldn't care less about their staff and they're just greedy and want to make money. This is actually like by design. There's a corporate ideology and a workshire that Waffle House should serve as essentially a community center during disasters. And during normal times, they're just Waffle Houses. But during a natural disaster in particular, you should just stand back and watch them go, because they have actual plans that the company has developed to figure out how to stay open to serve the community.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah, for sure. We're going to talk about a few of them here and there. One of them is they have a limited menu. And it's not like, oh, what do we have on hand? It's like, all right, we're going to. I don't know what they call it on the inside, but let's just say, like, we're going to plan B or something. And that means we're switching to the official limited menu when there are food shortages, when the power's out and stuff like that. Most. I don't think all of them do at this point, but most of them, and I'm sure they want to have them all on backup generators. That's been a thing for a while. So if you, you know, if the power's out, you can still probably go to a Waffle House and not only get power, but, you know, get a hot meal.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah. Whether you're like somebody whose house just got ravaged or a first responder helping people whose house just got ravaged or just hungry, it's a really important thing that you just totally overlook. Like, if your kitchen is gone and all of the other restaurants in town are shut down, having a Waffle House open is a really, really big deal. And they have, like, actual. What are called Waffle House jump teams that can show up.

[Chuck Bryant]

Parachuters. They parachute in.

[Josh Clark]

They do parachute in. And I hope they have better names for these things than Plan B. I hope it's more like Plan Dark Star or Plan Sorcerer's Sleeve or something like that.

[Chuck Bryant]

Okay.

[Josh Clark]

Better than Plan B. But they parachute in like you said, and they will open a Waffle House faster than you can say Waffle House.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah, that's right.

[Josh Clark]

Wait, hold on. Faster than you can say scattered, covered, smothered, and chunked.

[Chuck Bryant]

I know I've asked you how you got yours. How do you get yours?

[Josh Clark]

Your hash brown.

[Chuck Bryant]

Oh, you do. So chunked is ham, right?

[Josh Clark]

Yeah, I don't eat ham anymore, but I haven't been to a Waffle House since I stopped eating ham. So, yes, I always got it with ham, cheese, and sauteed.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah, I think I told. I mean, I just get mine straight up. I'm the weirdo that gets unadorned hash browns at Waffle House. But I do get a double order. Cause I just. Two of those. One isn't enough.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah, agreed.

[Chuck Bryant]

But I don't go anymore. I think I mentioned on an episode last time I went. It was actually with Hodgman after he went camping with a group of dudes here. On the way out, I was like, we're stopping at Waffle House, right? And he went, oh, yeah, yeah, we definitely are.

[Josh Clark]

And you don't go anymore?

[Chuck Bryant]

No, I mean, that was the only time I've been in years.

[Josh Clark]

I see. I got you. I thought you were saying, like, you don't want to replace that memory with another.

[Chuck Bryant]

Oh, no, no, no, no, no. That was just a year and a half ago. But I just. It's just not, you know, I went a lot in college, like, you know, late night after the bars. But, you know, you grow up a little bit and you realize you can't eat Waffle House every week.

[Josh Clark]

That's true.

[Chuck Bryant]

It's a sad realization, everybody. It's coming your way, though, if you're young.

[Josh Clark]

Yep. So I say we take a break and come back and talk more about this Waffle House index and what it is and where it came from.

[Chuck Bryant]

All right, let's do it.

[Paola Pedrosa]

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[Jerry]

Welcome. My name is Paola Pedrosa, a medium and the host of the ghost therapy podcast, where it's not just about connecting with deceased loved ones. It's about learning through them and their new perspective. Join me on the Ghost therapy podcast.

[Josh Clark]

Whoa. My lights in my living room just flickered. I'm a little nervous.

[Jerry]

I'm excited. I'm excited, nervous. You know, I'm a very spiritual person.

[Josh Clark]

So I'm like, I'm ready and open.

[Jerry]

That was amazing. I feel so grateful right now. I got to speak to my great grandmother Abuela, and she gave me a lot of really good advice that I'm gonna have to really think about.

[Josh Clark]

Wow.

[Jerry]

Okay, that's crazy. Yes, that is accurate. Listen to the Ghost Therapy podcast as part of the My Cultura Podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chuck Bryant]

So, you know, we talked about Waffle House being set up with generators and jump teams and limited menus. They also have temporary warehouses where they can store stuff, you know, on that limited menu at least. And this all started after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, I think seven of the restaurants were completely destroyed. Very sadly, 100 of them shut down. But they got up and running again very, very fast. And the company basically decided, like, hey, this is such a valuable thing. We need to come up with that official plan. Like a literal book of how to open as quickly as possible during an emergency or stay open during an emergency.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah, for sure. Not only did they come up with the book, that's when they figured out, okay, what kind of limited menu can we come up with? How can we store it? They identified, like, local temporary food storage they could use that was, you know, I'm sure central to a number of Waffle Houses, not one for each one. And we're just basically ready. It's called disaster preparedness. I had no idea about this. I really just thought Waffle House just stayed open just out of sheer will until I researched this. But they have a disaster preparedness plan, and apparently other companies do in the United States too, like Lowe's and Home Depot. Will, because people need lumber and shovels and hammers and stuff because they're blew away and they need to rebuild, and probably also more like generators and. And gas cans and so on and so forth. I don't know why I'm staying on this list, but Waffle House isn't the only one. But they're just part of a handful of companies who've essentially made themselves like de facto essential operations for post disaster preparedness stuff.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah, for sure. Which leads us finally to the Waffle House Index, which is a pretty unique thing. It was the brainchild of a guy named Craig Fugate, who was the FEMA administrator back in the early 2000 and tens. And he had that position after the Joplin Tornado of 2011 in May of that year. And he had kind of had this idea for a little while because he had noticed after various hurricanes that Waffle House was one of, if not the only thing open. And he started to notice this sort of trend, like, hey, your community doesn't have water, you don't have power. Yet. The Waffle House was open and he started looking at maps and realized that, like, hey, if you actually look at where the weather hit it the hardest and the damage was the most severe, you can kind of rate that according to whether or not that Waffle House is either open, closed, or serving a full menu, limited menu, and just how they're doing. And he really, like, that was sort of like the light bulb above the head moment when he said, this could be a real thing. The Waffle House Index could really help us out.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah. And I mean, it's as simple as, like, calling the local Waffle House in Tampa after a hurricane just passed through and saying, are you guys still open? And if they don't answer the phone, there's trouble in that community. And he was saying, like, that's where FEMA should start sending its people first, because that's as bad as it gets. If the Waffle House isn't open and they actually color coded it, there's. Green is the best part of the index. It means that your Waffle House is totally fine. Maybe there's like a cracked window, but everything else is good and everyone in the community can come there. Yellow has a limited menu and they're probably using a generator. And then red is like, it's closed. The Waffle House is toast. Come here. Because this is the community that's hardest hit. That's how, like, dedicated Waffle House is to staying open. That if they're closed, FEMA knows that that's where you should go first.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah, absolutely. You don't get the red index a lot, but again, if you do, then that's, you know, that's the really bad sign. If they know a hurricane or something like that is coming and they like, there's evacuation orders and stuff like that. It's mandatory. A Waffle House might close, but the very first chance they get to open that thing up, they're going to open it back up.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah. There's this really great story I read on the Waffle House blog in Weldon, North Carolina, back in 2011. Hurricane Irene passed through there. And the Waffle House, the local Waffle House, lost its power, but the gas was still going to the grill. And so the Waffle House stayed open and was cooking for people as long as it was light enough for them to see what they were doing. And then when it just became too dark to keep going, they closed and then opened at first light at dawn.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah, I love that story, but I was so ready when I was reading it to hear they cooked by candlelight through the night.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah, sorry. Sorry, Chuck.

[Chuck Bryant]

I didn't say I expected them to. I just that that would have been even more amazing, but maybe also dangerous. So that. That might have had something to do with it.

[Josh Clark]

Or maybe they just didn't have candles. And then the Waffle House employee. The manual afterward was like, buy candles. Make sure you have plenty of candles. We learned from Hurricane Irene.

[Chuck Bryant]

I looked up, by the way. I tried to find that they have a mobile emergency. What is it, like a.

[Josh Clark]

It's like an rv. Like a command center?

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah. But the only thing I could find looked like a food truck.

[Josh Clark]

Oh, is that right? Yeah.

[Chuck Bryant]

I mean, I tried to find a picture and everything. It just kept showing me this food truck, and I couldn't. When it was called the command center, I was like, is it dressed to look like a Waffle House? Because it looks like a little, tiny Waffle House.

[Josh Clark]

Oh, does it?

[Chuck Bryant]

And is there, like, communications inside, or are they showing up and cooking? Like, I couldn't figure that part out.

[Josh Clark]

If it is a food truck, though, there's a hundred percent chance that they're serving empanadas.

[Chuck Bryant]

Right.

[Josh Clark]

Even. Even from the Waffle House food truck. But they have a great nickname for it, though, at least.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah. What was from Stripes? What'd they call it?

[Josh Clark]

The EM50. Which is apparently the assault vehicle that Bill Murray drives in. Stripes was the EM50. I never got into that movie.

[Chuck Bryant]

Like, liked it or saw it all the way through.

[Josh Clark]

Saw it all the way through.

[Chuck Bryant]

Oh, Stripes is great. I think it's a movie in two parts, so the first half is a lot better than when they go on the mission in the rv.

[Josh Clark]

Gotcha. Okay.

[Chuck Bryant]

But, you know, not the best movie in the world, but I love Harold Ramis.

[Josh Clark]

Well, yeah, of course. I feel like it might have just been a couple of years ahead of me. When I was younger, I was more a meatballs guy.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah. I mean, that stuff. I wasn't allowed to watch any of that at the time, so I had to sneak it a little later.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah. I don't know how I was allowed to watch Meatballs because I was never allowed to watch Porky's or just about anything. My mom wouldn't even let me watch Sanford and Son because she thought Redd Fox was a dirty old man.

[Chuck Bryant]

Oh, interesting. That's funny.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah, well, it wasn't that funny. When you're a kid and you want to watch Sanford and Son, it's not funny at all.

[Chuck Bryant]

I learned two things about your mom this week. That and that she played the banjo, which just floors me how cool that is.

[Josh Clark]

She loved playing the banjo.

[Chuck Bryant]

I love that.

[Josh Clark]

And I love the Waffle House Index. And Waffle House didn't even sponsor this, everybody. That's just how impressed we are with the Waffle House Index. I always thought it was just some fooling around, pop culture thing. Nope, it's a real thing.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah. If you've never been. If you're ever in the south, go check out a Waffle House. The coolest, most awesome, fun people work there. And you might be able to get into a fist fight with Kid Rock. You never know.

[Josh Clark]

Yeah, there's a pretty good chance you will. Short Stuff is Out.

[Chuck Bryant]

Stuff youf Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts My Heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite show.