Southern Hospitality: Home Depot, Chick-Fil-A and Others Open Doors to Snow-Stranded Drivers As a snowstorm turned Georgia and Alabama into a scene out of a zombie movie, businesses lent a helping hand.
By Kate Taylor
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It only took a few inches of snow to leave thousands of drivers stranded across the South, as inaccurate weather predictions and lack of planning led to backups lasting hours in Alabama and Georgia. Thankfully, there were businesses willing to extend some Southern hospitality to the marooned drivers.
Unspeakably horrible commute stretches into 16th hour. Some slept at a CVS.
— AJC (@ajc) Motorists, including parents attempting to pick their children up from school, buses full of students, diabetics and one woman who , were stuck – many overnight – without food, water or shelter.
With emergency vehicles struggling to reach those in need, individuals and businesses took it upon themselves to help in any way possible.
People broke out the lawn chairs in Home Depot last night in Atlanta.
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) Related: Franchise Players: An Auntie Anne's Franchisee on the Importance of Seeking Advice
Home Depot quickly turned a number of its stores into shelters on Tuesday night. The Atlanta-based company keptall night long across Alabama and Georgia.
A big shoutout to during this ! Closed, but opened doors for bathroom, food, shelter for Mom & I
— Mallory O'Brien (@mallory_obrien) Grocery stores, including and , had plenty of floor-space, as uncomfortable as it may be, to offer to drivers stuck overnight, along with much needed food. Stores reopened in the storm to provide bathroom, food and shelter. CVS and Target also offered opened their doors to fatigued and hungry drivers.
Any stuck on the road? All stores are offering , and all night. Stay warm!
— RaceTrac (@RaceTrac) Chains such as Chick-Fil-A and convenience store RaceTrac offered food to motorists stuck for hours in the cold. A Chick-Fil-A outside of Birmingham, Ala. handed out hundreds of sandwiches for free along the highway, while RaceTrac is offered free coffee, cappuccino and hot chocolate in all Georgia stores up until 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
While the weather outside may be frightful, it's nice to see businesses willing to extend some Southern hospitality when communities need it the most.
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