Article

Florida restaurants prep for Hurricane Matthew

Although Hurricane Matthew hasn't hit Florida yet, the damage from the predicted Category 4 storm has caused Firehouse Subs, based in Jacksonville, to close its headquarters along with any of its restaurants on or near the coast.

October 6, 2016 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

With Florida government and disaster officials warning residents that Hurricane Matthew is a storm of rare and deadly strength,many restaurants in and near Florida are shuttering to accommodate what is being called the fiercest South Florida storm in 10 years. 

This weather force is expected to grow to a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of more than 75-125 mph by the time it slams into the Sunshine State’s east coast today. With mandatory evacuations ordered for the huge populations living in Brevard and Palm Beach counties, many restaurants are preparing for the worst, including Firehouse Subs. Based in Jacksonville, the chain is closing its headquarters at noon today, along with several coastal locations.

"We don't have the exact number of the closings because it's changing all the time yet," said Cecily Sorensen, the brand’s VP of corporate communications. "We are fielding calls from franchisees, and everyone is anxious and just trying to make sure everyone is safe. Information comes in sporadically and changes minute by minute, so we are just doing our best to support the entire Firehouse system, while also trying to prepare and protect ourselves and our families.

"Jacksonville has never been hit, so this is quite a shock to the city."

The corporate office supports about 1,000 Firehouse units across the nation, so Sorensen said shutting it down affects the entire brand.

"We are trying to balance being a support system as usual and trying to help everyone prepare," Sorensen said. "Info has been sketchy and uncertain and we get updates constantly."

Despite being officially closed, HQ will still function. 

"We all have our laptops, and everything is in the cloud," Sorensen said. "We are just constantly assessing the situation and getting calls from our franchisees. Info changes quickly, so you don’t know until you know. I honestly can’t remember the office ever being shut down, but we are a very mobile company."

The brand has a disaster plan in place, Sorensen said, and will work hard to assess any damage caused by the storm, including flooding or lack of power.

"It’s really ugly here," she said. "For the past 48 to 72 hours it’s been overcast and drizzling and then gone into full-blown storms, and we’ve not even seen the effects of Matthew yet, so the whole city is just trying to prepare."

People are helping one another prepare by sandbagging, but they also need to leave and find places to stay.

"We have all these people fleeing because of the evacuations, but hotels are all booked, and cops are at every major thoroughfare," Sorensen said. "People have been warned that if they stay there will be no first responders to rescue them. The city isn’t used to this; (evacuating) just isn’t something we usually do."

Sorensen assumes the stores and the corporate office will open after the hurricane passes, but that obviously depends on the damage left behind, including flooding and power loss.

"As long as everyone listens and heeds the warnings to hunker down, we should all be safe," she said.

With such a deadly storm brewing, most would assume that all restaurants in its path would be taking cover, but numerous restaurants are staying open, according to a Miami New Times article. It reported that at least 28 Florida brands, including the Waffle House, are going to ride it out.

"A bunch of restaurants have vowed to stay open as long as they can," it said. "Some are equipped with generators. Some are offering to deliver pizza (and wine). Some are just a friendly port in a storm."

Firehouse is prepping its stores that aren't directly in the path of the storm to prepare extra food to help feed the city's workers who will be on call this week to handle any damage, Sorensen.

"Right now, we are just looking out for the safety for all our crew members and our city and are happy to help however we can," she said. 

About Cherryh Cansler

---

Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

Connect with Cherryh: