First, restaurants werehit hardby the pandemic.
Then,inflationkept customers away.
And last week, Hurricane Ian swept through Florida, battering the already suffering hospitality industry in its wake.
Waffle House / Facebook
Naturally, Hurricane Ian managed to shutter dozens of their locations over the past week.
The popular chain has been an unofficial weather indicator for national disaster severity.
The restaurants that had temporarily shuttered were in the direct path of the hurricane or were in flood-prone areas.
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As of Friday, 34 of the 40 shuttered Waffle Houses reopened with minor damage.
“Thank you for providing meals to the linemen working to restore power.”
