A couple of weeks ago, it was reported that Obsession star (and future X-Man) Inde Navarrette is producing and starring in a movie called The Waffle House Index. I’ll admit I was immediately intrigued, because somewhere in the back of my mind, I recognized that “The Waffle House Index” is an actual (though unofficial) metric that FEMA uses in the aftermath of major storms, like hurricanes and tornadoes. It may sound ridiculous, but it does actually provide some important information for FEMA in its recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Just What Is The Waffle House Index?
The simplest way to explain the metric is that it relies on understanding how many Waffle House restaurants are still open in the wake of a major natural disaster. There are three levels to the Waffle House Index: Green, meaning all Waffle Houses are open and providing full menus and service. Yellow means that restaurants are open, but serving a limited menu due to power outages or limited supplies. Red, the worst case scenario, means that the Waffle Houses in the path of the disaster are closed completely.
Former FEMA official Craig Fugate coined the term after Hurricane Charley in 2004. His basic philosophy is that if Waffle House is fully open, the community is doing OK; if the menu is limited, FEMA needs to help; and if the restaurants are fully closed, there are serious problems that need to be addressed. He has also admitted that the metric is much more effective in the southern US, as the chain has a pretty limited presence in the north. He learned that you can’t really sub in another chain, either, as Waffle House has a strong corporate philosophy to get the restaurants up and running as quickly as possible.
Now There Is A Movie Based On It
The term is coming to a theater near you soon. Apple, together with Plan B, has announced the movie, starring Navarrette. Louis Paxton, whose new movie, The Incomer, hits theaters this month on the 2026 movie schedule, is set to direct and Andrew Nunnelly will write it. Not much as been revealed about the plot, except that, according to Deadline, it will be Navarrette’s character “works the graveyard shift at her local Waffle House with a storm coming.”
I guess that much should have been obvious, but it also sounds like there could be some twists and turns along the way.
I’m actually glad to see this attention being brought to the Index and the restaurant chain, which has occasionally been featured in other movies. It’s long been known in the South that Waffle Houses never close (one of the many things Anthony Bourdain loved about it) and their ability and willingness to stay open has often been something important for communities dealing with disaster. Not only is it a sign of hope and normalcy, but more importantly, they become a place where someone can get a hot meal under difficult circumstances.
Meanwhile, can catch Navarrette in Obsession with a Peacock subscription right now, while we wait for The Waffle House Index.
