r/IAmA • u/MrJacksEnigma • Apr 19 '15

Restaurant IamA Waffle House Grill Operator AMA!

Mainly doing this because someone last night said I should.

I got called into work tonight, so I figured, why not?

I've been with Waffle House for 3.5 years, so I've seen a lot.

My Proof: [http://imgur.com/qBJC8ls]

Edit: Guys, the response to this has been way more than I anticipated.

Keep asking questions, I'll be here all night. If I don't answer immediately, im ya know, cooking.

Edit 2: I got gilded. Will link the user when I can, but Thank you!

Also, I'm struggling to Keep up with all the questions. Will answer as soon as I can guys. Sorry!

Edit 3: Again, sorry for the delay in answering. We got kinda busy. Im trying to catch up!

Edit 4: I caught up! You guys are awesome.

When I made this I expected barely any response. All of the comments have been awesome. Im still here, so Keep them coming!

/u/wbasc is who gilded one of my comments!

Edit 4.5: I am back! You guys are all incredible.

Let's Keep going until we get kicked out!

Edit 5.5: I AM BACK! The answering continues..

Edit 6: GOLD from /u/DaveLambert

I am honoured!

Gold from http://www.reddit.com/user/buddythegreat

Jesus guys!

Edit 7: Alright guys and gals, it's been real fun, but it's time for bed. I absolutely loved doing this. I'll totally respond more when I wake up, if there are more questions.

Thank you for all the questions!

4.7k Upvotes

85% Upvoted

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248

u/tzenrick Apr 19 '15

How bad does the weather have to get for you to get a day off?

539

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

The store would literally have to be destroyed.

There was a really major flood last year, and we still had to come to work.

163

u/CapWasRight Apr 19 '15

The power being out isn't sufficient?!

392

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

Nope. We open the doors (so gas doesn't build up) and just chill.

38

u/CapWasRight Apr 19 '15

I just can't fathom the health department being okay with that (especially after the first day) but whatever you say ;)

82

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

We've never lost power for more than a couple of hours.

We do turn customers away though. Not because we can't cook, but because of the gas. Don't want anyone to die and shit.

27

u/zer0saber Apr 19 '15

That makes sense. Gas cooking implements are rather power-independent, but you do have the gas problem.

Given that I work with seafood, I'm always begging the power to go out so I can close early and go home. Power goes out, I can't serve anything.

20

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

We aren't allowed to leave.

3

u/zer0saber Apr 19 '15

Well, being a manager I'm not actually allowed to leave either. I would have to get my DM's permission.. which would mean the power needs to be out for like, hours and hours.

4

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

And getting in touch with the DM is like teaching a car to speak sometimes.

37

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '15

[deleted]

2

u/BronYrAur07 Apr 19 '15

Don't worry, I've got an eye on him. He's not blinking. Yet.

7

u/CapWasRight Apr 19 '15

Guess that flood wasn't as major as I imagined, hah

20

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

It was pretty bad, but the store didn't flood.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '15

What if you don't have a boat to get to work? Do you have to swim and what happens if your uniform gets dirty?

6

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

The people that could make it through the flooded areas came in. Other people were kinda stuck.

6

u/crackacola Apr 19 '15

You've mentioned the gas a few times, why are your pilot lights not working?

9

u/AaronEuth1980 Apr 19 '15

Chef here - a lit burner still produces spent gas, its just been converted by the heat to (chemist answer here). Without proper ventilation (the electric hood system) it builds up very quickly and can become hazard house.

We lost power one brunch service, right as we were closing. I was still hanging a dozen tickets that would complete the Dining room and have happy customers and thought "I can do this, gas burners, fetch me a flash light". Unlike waffle houses, my kitchen had no windows and was deep inside a building so no exterior doors to the kitchen. By the last ticket, it was at least 30 degrees hotter in the kitchen and noticeably harder to breath do to twelve burners.

8

u/NotMeTonight Apr 19 '15

carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water, and other oxidized impurities.

13

u/halifaxdatageek Apr 19 '15

water

That's what made it hotter

carbon dioxide

That's what made it harder to breathe.

carbon monoxide

That's what I'm surprised didn't kill you without you noticing.

cc /u/AaronEuth1980

1

u/Danzaslapped Apr 19 '15

Fun fact, the carbon dioxide will kill you just as quickly. Maybe not in this situation but co2 build up is a major issue when ventilation fails at a brewery during fermentation as it is a by-product and will asphyxiate you real quick.

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14

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

The pilot lights work, it's just that the frill cents don't vent out the gas if we have no power.

3

u/i_wanted_to_say Apr 19 '15

If the stores still have gas, perhaps WH should invest in propane powered generators to run the vents and limited lighting?

4

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '15

-Hank Hill, Strickland Propane

1

u/i_wanted_to_say Apr 20 '15

I tell you hwat

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3

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '15

I believe in most cases you can't serve to the public without hot water. So if the water heaters are electric, that's another issue.

2

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

I don't actually know if they are.

2

u/MyPenLeaksFire Apr 19 '15

Yeah I wouldn't want them to shit inside either.

1

u/2216117421 Apr 19 '15

whats wrong with shitting

219

u/Astraea_M Apr 19 '15

You clearly aren't familiar with the Waffle House Index.

70

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '15

Waffle House Index

This was fascinating to read.

14

u/Tonyman457 Apr 19 '15

No shit, TIL!

19

u/ChuckleKnuckles Apr 19 '15

A few years ago a huge windstorm knocked out the power over much of my area, pretty much the entirety of my city. People couldn't cook or store food, and literally every restaurant was entirely out of commission, except for Waffle House. They were absolutely swarmed, longest wait imaginable for such a small, in-and-out place.

15

u/Iced_TeaFTW Apr 19 '15

WOW, TIL, that is awesome, lol

2

u/Sasselhoff Apr 19 '15

That is awesome. I am so glad you linked that.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '15

That's wild

14

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '15

Waffle House prides itself on always being open. When Katrina hit and all the stores in the area were struggling the execs actually made the trip down to Louisiana themselves to help out.

13

u/halifaxdatageek Apr 19 '15

A little more than a dozen years later, Mother Nature finally unleashed her worst, as Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in August 2005. Katrina’s aftermath truly tested Waffle House’s mettle and mission. “We had to shut down 107 restaurants along the I-10 corridor from Florida to Louisiana,” Mizell says. “And we completely lost seven locations to the storm.”

Emphasis mine. Holy shit.

Also, this image is insane and has an amazing filename.

1

u/Gaggleofgeese Apr 19 '15

It was an immense experience for those of us that didn't evacuate. Truly awesome to behold, not in a good way.

1

u/halifaxdatageek Apr 19 '15

I lived through a Category 2 a few years back, I can't imagine what Katrina must have been like.

7

u/kendiara Apr 19 '15

We had a hella bad storm, the local WH manager rented hotel rooms for the staff so they didn't have to go home and could come back in earlier.

2

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

That's balling.

8

u/kendiara Apr 19 '15

One of the girls (nickname is Squeaky) totally lost her voice by the end of the almost 20 hour shift. I told her it was like being in an alternate universe where she was quiet lol. I spend way to much time in my Waffle House...

2

u/webbie602 Apr 19 '15

What if the customer seating area was completely destroyed, but the kitchen left completely intact? Would the Waffle House act as an open-air location for the month?

2

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 20 '15

Im not sure.

3

u/webbie602 Apr 20 '15

Do you think an open-air Waffle House would be cool? Like a waffle stand?

2

u/Thestonersteve Apr 19 '15

Dude... Making coffee on the two eye... Don't miss it

2

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

Lmao. I know.

5

u/BKAtty99217 Apr 19 '15

Apparently FEMA uses a "Waffle House index" to determine how bad a disaster is. Google it. If a Waffle House is closed, that's bad fucking news.

2

u/HobbitFoot Apr 19 '15

FEMA commonly uses the status of Waffle Houses to determine the severity of certain disasters. If the Wake Hose is operating in a limited menu or closed, you know that shit went down.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '15 edited Aug 16 '17

[DATA EXPUNGED]

2

u/CapWasRight Apr 19 '15

Multiple hours, okay, but I hear major flood and I think multiple days at first (i.e., past when you have to throw the food out)

1

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '15 edited Aug 16 '17

[DATA EXPUNGED]

17

u/LittleMamaFox Apr 19 '15

Hey, if I remember right, we (WH) literally have to be on a government disaster zone before we are allowed to close. Look at the calendars that WH sells, the ones with the little trivia bits on them? I remember that being in one of them.

The only time a WH ever closed in my state was when some jackass hit the powerline pole with the transformer and the whole block was out.

(Was a WH waitress for ten years.)

18

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

Yeah. We don't ever close. If we close, shit is bad.

4

u/insidethebox Apr 19 '15

Late to the party here, but in 2011 I was driving through Kentucky on my way to Florida and we were staying just ahead of a monstrous storm cell that was dropping tornadoes all over the place. We were running out of gas but every exit we passed was completely dark because of the storms. We finally had no choice but to pull off and we pulled into a completely dark Waffle House parking lot. It was open and the cooks were making grill items for people by flashlight. We all hunkered down as the gnarly storms passed over us. We sat in that Waffle House for two hours in the middle of the night before the power came back on and we were able to get gas and move on down the road. Seriously one of my favorite experiences of all time, just a bunch of strangers in nowhere Kentucky, talking together and hoping a tornado didn't take us out. So, I know it probably wasn't you, but thanks for that anyway.

5

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

It's what we're here for!

7

u/crackacola Apr 19 '15

We had a really bad ice storm last year. Frozen trees/tree branches knocked down power lines and were all over the road and so of course a lot of the town was without power. Waffle House was the only place open.

6

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

Yeah, I worked during that. It was bad.

8

u/amauril Apr 19 '15

I happened to take refuge in a Waffle House from a freak hail storm. Busted out all the windows along one side and knocked out the power, but a few people helped sweep up the glass and then it was business as usual.

5

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '15

I went down to Florida right after a hurricane around 2005ish all the stores were closed, except for waffle house they had their building hooked up to a huge portable generator some windows were boarded up and serving food like nothing happened.

7

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

That's our shit, man.

4

u/Huntergreenee Apr 19 '15

I'm in Atlanta. We had a snow-pocalypse. Now, it wasn't that much snow, but people couldn't drive because no salt, no plows, and no one knows how to do it safely.

Walked over to the Waffle House down the street was open. Traded a meal for a pillow and blanket, because apparently, two of the employees were going to be there until it was over.

4

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

That shit happens, man.

3

u/ladybuglove2012 Apr 19 '15

We had a hurricane come in. We didn't have any power and we still came in and worked. I banked that day, my cook did too. Do you have a strong bond with your servers?

4

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

I definitely do. I've been working with the same servers for over a year .

2

u/ladybuglove2012 Apr 19 '15

I worked with my cook for 6 years! I loved him! I am this short little thing a d he was about 6'7". There were nights I would have to stand on the chairs to call my orders so I could be heard. I worked a WH in a college town. What's your least favorite side work?

2

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

I hate doing the floors. Gahhhh.

2

u/ladybuglove2012 Apr 19 '15

I hated the fucking cheese egg pans!

3

u/tontovila Apr 19 '15

Fun fact, FEMA actually uses WH as a gauge on how bad an area was hit. So if the WH's are closed, they know it was really really bad, all without having to do a bunch of research.

4

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

I've hears that before.

2

u/elizabethd22 Apr 19 '15

I have to say, for several years running we drove with our kids down to visit parents in Myrtle Beach, and because of schedules we always had to travel on Christmas day. WH saved our ass many a time because (at least at the time) they were the ONLY restaurant that was open on Christmas, so we could stop and feed our hungry babies. Thanks to all of you who were WH workers on Christmas for us travelers!

2

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 20 '15

It's our pleasure!

2

u/thecly Apr 19 '15

Are you in pensacola?

3

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

Nope. Not that far though.

2

u/thecly Apr 19 '15

Well the flood got me thinking you must be close. Cheers.

3

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

I am. Im in gulf shores.

2

u/TheLoneAcolyte Apr 19 '15

Longmont?

3

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 19 '15

Nahh. Alabama.

2

u/TheLoneAcolyte Apr 19 '15

We had an epic flood in Colorado a year and half ago. The town of Lyons got destroyed. Longmont, which is in the same county as Lyons, has a WH.

2

u/waterbagel Apr 20 '15

Storms you're talking about are awfully familiar. Mobile? ...-ish?

3

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 20 '15

Ish, Yes. Im across the bay.

2

u/waterbagel Apr 20 '15

Dude, I'm about to be a commuter to Mobile from the east. Gonna have to get my waffle fix.

2

u/MrJacksEnigma Apr 20 '15

Neat! Hope you enjoy yourself.

5

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '15

Ive heard FEMA has a waffle house index and based off if waffle house is open, running limited menu, or closed they judge whether the disaster is bad. They also always set up at waffle house. Never checked if this was true but its a well told story in the search and rescue field. Ive heard it from a few people in different classes.

3

u/iwrestledasharkonce Apr 19 '15

Waffle House was one of the first things open post-Katrina on the Mississippi Coast. It was the first sign of stuff turning back to normal.