WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Driving through Waco on Monday, you might see some people on the roads, but most businesses remained closed. Those who opened up tell me they're doing it for the community.
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"We just wanted to stay open because I figured most people would be closed," said Seth Dumont, owner of Waco Waffle Company.
Dumont said they're still making waffles to encourage locals who need to be out and about to have a place to eat.
"A lot of the locals don't come out on Saturday anymore because a lot of people travel from Dallas and Austin, and the lines get crazy," Dumont said.
With preparations and planning — like ensuring running water, power and safe roads — Waco Waffle Co. kept their doors open during the freeze. The George's location in Hewitt felt safe enough to open their doors Monday.
"Nobody is forced to come in. Nobody is made to come to work. It's a matter of if people are able to and are willing to work," said Kyle Citrano, George's owner.
Citrano said a lot of thought goes into these decisions, and making a profit isn't a factor.
"It's not as much really about a money issue. It's more about just making sure that we can provide a little bit of work for our staff because remember they're not working for a couple of days, that's money in their pocket, so we want to try and help out where we can," Citrano said.
Citrano also urged the community to visit local restaurants once everything thaws out.
"These last couple of days for a lot of people being closed, it's not just a make or break your month, it's a make or break your year sometimes," Citrano said.
Citrano decided to only open their Hewitt location after driving to their Waco locations and seeing the road conditions.
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