Waffle House says the economic impact of shutdowns is as dangerous as coronavirus infections, as the chain reopens dining rooms in Georgia
Waffle House is opening dining areas for hundreds of locations that had previously only served take-out orders in Georgia and Tennessee. Workers wear face masks, condiments are no longer placed on tables, and certain tables will be marked as off-limits for customers. Restaurants have plastic bags over stools, to keep people seating at the counter from sitting too close to each other.
Waffle House sales plummeted by 70% across the chain during the pandemic, with some locations seeing even greater losses, according to Boss. Waffle House closed up roughly 700 locations, Boss said, "simply because the restaurant traffic dried up in those areas." As sales plummeted, 28,000 hourly Waffle House workers lost their jobs, with the chain going from 40,000 workers in 25 states pre-COVID-19 to roughly 12,000 today.Corey Brooks, right, orders food at a Waffle House restaurant in Savannah, Georgia.Without workers "this country is going to be insignificant trouble," Boss said.
Boss says bickering and arguments over if health or economics should take priority need to end, as states begin to reopen businesses. As it becomes clear that the coronavirus will not disappear until there is a vaccine or successful treatment, governments and businesses need to find new solutions that equally weigh both financial and public health crises.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
U.S. House will not return next week due to COVID-19 riskLawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives will not return to Washington next week as planned, due to the continuing risk of coronavirus infection, a top House Democrat said on Tuesday, in a reversal of plans outlined only a day earlier.
Read more »
With Georgia Diners Set To Reopen, Waffle House Braces For A Slow RecoveryWaffle House will reopen at least 330 dining rooms in its home of Georgia on Monday, as the state controversially becomes the first to ease business restrictions during the pandemic.
Read more »
Crippled By Coronavirus, Waffle House Faces A Harsh Reality: ‘We’ve Never Seen Anything Like This’Waffle House Chairman Joe Rogers Jr.: “There's Wall Street, and there's Main Street. The economy is Main Street. Where the people are. We don’t do Wall Street.”
Read more »
Would You Risk Your Life for a Waffle?Restaurant dining rooms are starting to reopen in some states. Surprisingly, customers are showing up
Read more »
Undaunted Texas Waffle House Waitress Has Been Expecting To Die There Every Day For The Past 20 Years AnywayGLADEWATER, TX—Following the Texas governor’s announcement that the state’s economy will begin reopening later this week, local Waffle House waitress Barb Jefferson shrugged and told reporters Tuesday she had spent every shift for the past two decades expecting to die in the restaurant anyway. “I’ve worked nights here for years, and I’ve seen shit a lot worse than a deadly, incurable disease come through those doors,” said the East Texas server, explaining that she had long ago made peace with the fact that she was likely to die the next time she clocked in for a shift at the 24-hour diner franchise, which according to police records has been the site of four armed robberies so far this year. “I honestly have no idea how I’m still alive. You seen some of the deadbeats we get in this place? Every time I refill someone’s coffee I’m afraid I’m interrupting a meth deal. Back in February, we had EMTs wheeling a dead guy out of the men’s room. It’s only a matter of time before a fight breaks out, some shitheel some starts firing a gun, and my number’s up.” At press time, Jefferson was seen wrestling a knife out of a fry cook’s hands after he threatened to stab her over a substitution request in a ham and cheese omelet.
Read more »
Alleged Chicago house party video highlights risks to lockdown progressWATCH: A video on social media shows an apparent house party in Chicago, drawing condemnation from government officials. Mayor Lightfoot tweeted that 'reckless actions like these threaten our public health ... We will hold those responsible accountable.'
Read more »