Waffle House And Bojangles Had An Epic Storm Standoff, And I Am HERE For It!

So a Bonjangles just opened in my town, and YOU GUYS. Have you tried their dessert biscuits? They’re seriously the most delicious, wondrous thing that has ever graced this planet. The berry one? OMG. The cinnamon one? OMG. The glaze? OMG. I’m ALLLLLL about those dessert biscuits. Add those to my list of weaknesses.

Sorry. Just had to express my love of those. Moving on.

A Bojangles and Waffle House in North Carolina just had an epic storm standoff. For those who don’t know, Waffle House is known for its storm preparedness. FEMA actually uses ’em as a gauge, of sorts. They call it the “Waffle House Index.”

This is a real, actual thing.

The index — developed by Craig Fugate, the former head of FEMA — is seen as a proxy to measure the damage in an area and how quickly it will recover.

If the Waffle House is closed due to a storm, the index is red. If the restaurant has a limited menu, often meaning the freezer is out, it’s labeled yellow. If the store is open with a full menu, the index is green.

Fascinating, right? That’s what made this initial news such a big deal. The Waffle House in Shallotte, NC closed.

The wind is growing stronger. But more significant is that the @WaffleHouse in Shallotte, NC is now closed. The chain is famous for its storm-hardiness, and its closure is perhaps the greatest metric that the storm is nigh. pic.twitter.com/J4ln2V72i3

— Matt Bradley (@MattMcBradley) September 13, 2018

Is it as it seems? NO. Waffle House did NOT close on its own accord. Authorities instructed them to do so, but they put up a fight after realizing that the Bojangles across the street was still operating. So they reopened.

UPDATE: @WaffleHouse did not close willingly. They were told to shut by Shallotte, NC police. But when the Bojangles (@Bojangles1977) across the road stayed open, it became an old-fashioned Southern fast-food stand-off that @WaffleHouse wasn’t about to lose. They’ve now reopened!

— Matt Bradley (@MattMcBradley) September 13, 2018

The @WaffleHouse staff told me “we’re here for the community.” No, they will not go quiet into that good night. They will not cede ground to @Bojangles1977. #Heroes #HurricaneFlorence

— Matt Bradley (@MattMcBradley) September 13, 2018

Not all heroes wear capes. The come with WAFFLES.

The @WaffleHouse staff told me “we’re here for the community.” No, they will not go quiet into that good night. They will not cede ground to @Bojangles1977. #Heroes #HurricaneFlorence

— Matt Bradley (@MattMcBradley) September 13, 2018

Throughout the South, @WaffleHouse is such a good barometer of storm conditions even government agencies monitor them. #HurricaneFlorence https://t.co/QWuwP0AJpi

— Matt Bradley (@MattMcBradley) September 13, 2018

You should know that both are now closed, but still.

UPDATE: The @WaffleHouse is now closed. So is the @Bojangles1977. The rains have begun. #HurricaneFlorence2018 #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/KWE8MRypuz

— Matt Bradley (@MattMcBradley) September 13, 2018

You go, Bojangles and Waffle House. You GO. Everyone stay safe!