America's Place to Give

Doctors, parents, and pretty much everyone agrees that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you are from or have ever visited any of the southern states, chances are you have dined under an infamous yellow sign. Millions of people have enjoyed and can attest to the delicious waffles, bacon, and iconic scattered, smothered, and covered hash browns of the adored breakfast staple. Be that as it may, the true allurement of the classic breakfast establishment, Waffle House, remains in obscurity to most.

Established in 1955, Waffle House has coined the slogan "America's place to work." While offering a competitive benefits plan, paid vacations, and employee stock options, it is not hard to see why the phrase stuck. Fresh off a ten-year stint myself, I will say you almost have to be an associate to fully understand the magic of this place. I have witnessed the hospitality of associates swiftly spin into immense generosity from the customers. Customers, unbeknown to our conversation as they walked across the parking lot, shyly ask for food and a break from the cold as we hand them a hot coffee and tell them their food is taken care of. The company's response to Covid-19 became a model for the country. Whether we are climbing the cooperate ladder or paying off student loans, associates become the family we can not live without. It is the evident southern, family-oriented atmosphere that effortlessly makes Waffle House "America's Place to Give."

Waffle House changed a lot of rules when they began serving the golden treat 24 hours a day. Not only could you enjoy breakfast anytime you wanted, but the person serving you often has a golden heart as well. Associates agree to work holidays and weekends in the initial interview. If they are anything like me, snowstorms, hurricanes, and other natural disasters were not in mind when searching for job security. The 24 hour, 365 days a year mentality of the units unwittingly mold a sense of support in the community. The question of where to go if you're out after midnight no longer exists if your city has one. Whether you're hungover after a party or in a little trouble, the grill is on and waiting for you.

In order to maintain the 24 hour availability, the company uses what is known as "The Waffle House Index" to navigate natural disasters and just recently, a pandemic. This system determines how much an area is affected and decides whether it is safe or not for stores to remain open. The most charitable thing I have witnessed the company do to date is diligently fight for the jobs and livelihoods of its associates last year. Amid the government shutdown CEO, Walt Ehmer, graciously shared the system also used by FEMA with the President and other restaurant owners from Georgia to expedite the reopening of businesses. The controversy surrounding the reopening of businesses makes it hard to determine which end is callous. The CEO's motivation was clear. People need their jobs.

Served with the task of personally passing down the word that the doors were closing, Ehmer graciously gave up half of his salary as the Roger's family who owns the chain respectively gave up all compensation. These grand gestures were not enough to stop the need to cut hours, wages, and benefits. Many associates were hurt emotionally as well as financially by the decisions made. The company was looking out for the longevity of the company. Considering a lot of restaurants have permanently closed their doors, tough decisions were made and many people still have jobs because of it. I can personally say Ehmer cares. The same pregnancy benefits that were taken away, were facilitated for me personally by Ehmer himself after discovering my second pregnancy during a visit to the Buckhead, Atlanta location. He even paid a separate visit to confirm everything processed fine since the program was so new it was not on the website just yet. This act of kindness gracefully shows how the generosity in this company extends from the bottom to the top.

The giving energy is so strong in the small storefronts that the ways the WH community have supported each other are hard to count. I have often witnessed associates fall on hard times, move in together, and take on the roll of family for each other in what seems to be very little time. Regular customers do their share of giving also. WH regulars are known to shower the associates with tokens of appreciation. They give for birthdays, baby showers, and plain old bad days. The customers take care of each other as well. There is the infamous "Pay it forward" gesture of paying for an unsuspecting patron's meal. Firefighters, police officers, and EMTs receive this daily. My two favorite instances of this was watching a lady teach her son how and why she pays it forward, and the time I saw one gesture lead to four families paying it forward in a row! I often see homeless people taken care of by associates and customers. I personally could never turn anyone who is hungry away.

When it comes to giving at the waffle house, there is one story that tugs on my heart strings. An associate, who was working really hard at sobriety and stability, fell on hard times. She was thrown out of her living arrangement with 4 kids and her van. Upon hearing what happened, the regulars who knew her story and grew to love her progress jumped to action. The regulars met weekly to work out her room and board, and care for her children while she continued to work towards new living quarters. The most remarkable part of this story is, the associate who made the customers aware of the situation, did so only because the same regulars took care of her the exact same way just one year ago. It feels great to know and love these individuals over the years. I have exchanged birthday and Christmas gifts with each of the regulars involved. Two of them reached out to make sure I could still pay bills during the shut down. Still unsure if I will return post Covid-19, I am proud to say I have worked alongside and waited on some of the most kindhearted people in Buckhead.