Hold that order: Hurricane Ian delays opening of Ocala's newest Waffle House on SR 200
Waffle House, known for its around-the-clock service, will soon debut a new Ocala location on College Road (State Road 200) at Southwest 43rd Street, across from Sullivan Cadillac.
The new store might have opened sooner if not for Hurricane Ian.
“The opening date for Waffle House #2429 (Southwest 43rd Street) has been moved tentatively to Tuesday, October 4th, because of the impending hurricane. This date remains subject to change depending on the weather impact to the area,” Njeri Boss, vice president of public relations for Waffle House, Inc., wrote in an email.
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As USA TODAY points out, Waffle House prides itself on staying open even in bad weather. But Hurricane Ian is strong enough not just to cause a delay in opening the new Ocala store, but also to move the chain to temporarily close 21 existing Florida locations between Naples and Bradenton.
Waffle House currently has four restaurants in Marion County. All were still open Wednesday afternoon:
4611 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala
22 NW 34th Ave., Ocala
2065 SW County Road 484, Belleview
3871 SW College Road, Ocala
The 3871 SW College Road building, just down the street from the new store, eventually will be closed, Boss indicated. Marion County property tax records indicate Waffle House has paid property taxes at that 3871 location since 2007.
When asked why the company was replacing one College Road location with another, Boss stated: “(a)s a privately held company, we do not share our business plans with the public. We simply are happy to be able to continue to serve the Ocala community with this updated restaurant.”
Jim Fink of Ocala has often visited the Waffle House on Maricamp Road. He appreciates the consistency of the food and the quick service.
The Maricamp location was bustling with customers this week as residents awaited the arrival of Hurricane Ian.
A March 3, 2020 Star-Banner article noted that the Maricamp Road location was the Norcross, Georgia-based chain’s “only Waffle House in Marion County not located near Interstate 75.“
The new SR 200 store is just west of I-75.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Waffle House delays newest Ocala, Florida store because of Hurricane Ian
