Hurricane Matthew ripped through the Georgia coast over the weekend leaving destruction, people without power and flooded roads as a result. Restaurant members of the Georgia Restaurant Association were quick to step up and give back to those in a time of need. Several restaurants helped to rebuild their community by providing food for first responders and returning evacuees. GRA board member and Vice President of Administration of Domino’s, Floyd Anderson, was instrumental in the relief efforts.

Domino’s donated 200 pizzas for the returning evacuees, 50 for first responders before the storm hit, and another 30 for the Southside Fire Department, Landings Security, Armstrong State University Police, and Montgomery County Fire Department Inmate Trainees. “We hope our efforts were helpful to those who were working to keep our community safe. We appreciate all the long hours and hard work from our first responders, and we hope keeping them fed helped make their jobs a little easier,” said Anderson. Pat Warner, Vice President of Culture for Waffle House stated that they began to track the storm early on, ordering generators and extra food to anticipate the need. “There were employees that still did not have power in their homes or were staying in hotels but still came to work with a smile on their face. Our employees saw the need in the community and their drive and compassion to feed people is incredible,” said Warner.

At several local Waffle House locations, customers enjoyed their first hot meal and air conditioning after enduring the storm. Waffle House brought in restaurant operators, food safety specialists, IT professionals and more from other areas like Atlanta and Tennessee to assist with reopening all of the locations as quickly as possible. The restaurants were also there to help provide the simple things like allowing people to come into the restaurant and charge their phones or to just have a place to sit.

Other restaurants that contributed to hurricane relief efforts include Chicken Salad Chick, Leopold's, Boar’s Head, Pirate's House, Turner Restaurant Group, Green Truck Pub, Collins Quarter, Hitch, Treylor Park, Publick House, Local Eleven10, and Spudnick. GRA Government Affairs Representative in Savannah, Mike Vaquer, and his wife Jean McRae were instrumental in coordinating efforts with these Savannah restaurants and getting food out to those in need.

As the relief efforts continue, Georgia’s restaurants were quick to open their doors and set the table for others in their time of need. As our coastal region continues the long process of rebuilding and reestablishing their lives, the restaurant industry is standing by them, ready to serve through any storm.